Wilting Bloom
by Lun Yokune
Summary: A traumatic and supernatural mystery that is wilting, a love that is to bloom. The story of Sora and Sunao.
1. The Accident

_If there are no reviews, I won't continue (this includes sex scenes), because I'll assume no one's interested and not bother. Seriously, even a smiley face is feedback._

_Thank you. :) - Smiley face._

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><p><em>Updated: Thank you to everyone who reviewed. I wouldn't have cared to finish otherwise.<em>

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><p><strong>The Accident<strong>

It took not even ten seconds of being awake for Sora to realize that something was wrong. But, then again, Sora always woke up like that - desolate and empty and wrong. Perhaps it had something to do with laying in a hospital bed, without even another sick-mate for company, or perhaps it was the feeling of a bare room in general; full of nothing but reflections of the single person's gloom. Sora hated hospitals, but he could not say why. The place gave him a really creepy feeling, like of pain long forgotten.

And Sora was always forgetting things.

Sora stretched, yawned, rolled over, yawned some more. They had removed his IV tubes a few days ago, his leg was no longer broken, his head injury was better, and he was feeling perfectly healthy again. A nurse had told him that today he was likely to be released, and Sora couldn't wait to place as much distance between him and this room as possible. He dreamed of real food and his cozy, messy, life-filled dorm.

Sora moved the bed sheets and examined his leg, still not believing it had completely snapped only three months ago. But that was what happened when you crashed through a window, fell from a two story building, and landed on solid ground.

After all of that, Sora was just glad the head injury had been minor and that he was still alive.

Sora often tried to think back to the accident itself, but, as usual, remembered nothing. He was troubled about that concept; that he remembered absolutely _nothing._

Even though others, mostly his scheming friend Matsuri, retold the incident to him over and over again in their visits, Sora could not remember _why_ he had done such a thing. According to the witnesses, he had been alone, run head-long through the glass, and crashed down.

What could have caused him to do something so insane? Why did he do it at all, and _why_ didn't he remember? He did not even recall being on the second floor in the first place - and was quite sure he had been in the science department with his chemistry teacher, Nagase Kai, many classrooms away.

Sora sighed. He watched as daylight trickled farther and farther into his room, with nothing else to do but wait for his release. He felt a familiar wave of emptiness wash over him. Even before the accident, Sora was always forgetting things, and he could not remember any of his childhood at all. The farthest back he could remember was being adopted by his surrogate mother, Nanami, and her lover, Minato. He loved them as much as a sixteen-year old could love their parents, of course he did, but he wished he could remember his real parents, or at least what had happened to them.

Sora wanted to accept that they were gone and move on, but he didn't, because his mind just didn't work that way. How was he supposed to move forward, anyway, if he could't even remember where he had already been?

He also had a suspicion, a kind of eerie voice in the back of his head, that he was forgetting someone or something; something important...

Sora put his hands behind his head and sprawled out. He was muscular and fit, but being in a hospital for so long was making him lazy, and his love of food didn't help. There wasn't even a TV to watch, or even a person to complain to about there _being_ no TV.

He brushed all his morbid thoughts away as easily as that - by thinking of other things, because he was Sora, and that was what he did.

Sora knew that the world was cruel but fair, even if he did feel lost and empty, because that was just the way the world was. Sora was a care-free, easy-going kind of guy, and Matsuri had even been nice enough to put it bluntly for him - he was happy being an idiot.

Sora blinked, just breathed and blinked his blue eyes in boredom, until finally a nurse came with the words he had been waiting for.

"Hashiba Sora?" She said sweetly. "The papers are all done and ready. You can go home."


	2. Flower in the Mix

**Flower in the Mix**

There were two, grand buildings that Sora called a home - the school and the dorms. Their school was an all-boys one, but that didn't stop the girls from across the way from sneaking over to see them. Sora had been sent to his adoptive parents' house first, and they had all eaten some cake to celebrate his recovery, but _this_ was the place Sora had been eager to return to. There was a difference between a place that was nice, and a place that was home.

As Sora approached the gates, he noticed almost all of the lights were still on. A tall figure, almost as tall as him, was waiting at the entrance. As he got closer he recognized the dirty blonde hair in the streetlight, the green eyes, and the mischievous grin.

"Sora!" Matsuri exclaimed, clapping him on the shoulder and walking him through the gates. "Nice to see you finally walking."

"It's nice to _be_ walking." Sora replied. Matsuri had visited him the most when he was injured, and he was just the kind of person you could always be yourself around. Sora looked up at the many lights still on. "Why are so many people still up?"

"Waiting for you, of course." Matsuri said. Sora felt himself beginning to smile.

"Matsuri, you didn't-"

"SURPRISE!"

"SORA!"

"PARTY!" yelled a crowd of people inside.

Someone started blasting music, and Sora found himself laughing for the first time in a long time. Someone shoved a drink in his hand, and he found himself being hugged, pulled, and rushed into the festivities. Leave it to Matsuri to pull something like this. His name _did_ mean "festival," after all, but Sora often thought "manipulative" would have been better.

His classmates and friends were all crowded in the main lounge; Ichikawa Gaku babbled about his love life to Sora (as he often did, no matter how uninterested Sora obviously was), Hoshi Sakurai started a game of pool, Yoshihiro Hano declared he would go out and buy everyone sake, and even two foreign girls Sora had never met before congratulated him on his recovery, in very cute English accents.

Sora weaved through the party-goers and found Matsuri again, happy that he had thought to do this for him.

"Thanks, Matsuri." He told him. He wasn't good with big words or fancy phrases, but he knew that Matsuri understood.

"How did you get the teachers to allow this? President Nagase always has such a stick up his ass."

Matsuri winked cheekily.

"I'm dorm head, and it wasn't hard to get them to understand that this was just an _innocent_ celebration for your good health." Sora scoffed. He doubted Matsuri could make anyone believe he was innocent; especially President Nagase. Matsuri leaned on Sora carelessly and gave him another drink.

"As long as no one tells we were having alcohol, and the girls stay out of the rooms, we're fine." He took a swig out of his cup.

"Oh, speaking of rooms." Matsuri added suddenly, as if he had just now reminded himself of something, "You have a new roommate as of now."

"What?" Sora asked incredulously, choking a little on his drink. He didn't hate company, but he had a suspicion that having a roommate would require cleaning your room. He also had a few things, including a pink stuffed elephant, he'd rather not let too many people see. Matsuri still enjoyed teasing him about that one.

"I know, but you're the only one with an extra bed." Matsuri said. "The guy arrived only this morning. He should be here somewhere." He shrugged again and smiled, trying to cheer Sora back up, before disappearing back into the noise.

Sora couldn't help but grin as he left. He knew that Matsuri always had Sora's best interests at heart, but he also had a nagging suspicion he was only looking for an excuse to party, and to profit. Sure enough, not even ten minutes later, Matsuri was holding up a kind of miniature bar in the kitchens, selling drinks.

Sora continued enjoying himself, having fun well into the night, talking with people he hadn't seen in what felt like ages, and wondering who his new roommate could be. He was just about to call it a day, when he saw someone in the crowd that stopped his breath, and caught his heart.

A girl was walking from the kitchens, away from Matsuri's busy bar, drinking only a can of iced tea, looking stubborn and put-out. She clearly didn't want to be there, and kept mostly to herself. Her long light-brown hair was tied back in a ribbon; falling past her waist and accenting her lithe form.

What made Sora unable to move or think was the feeling that he knew her, had known her his entire life, and Sora had never found anything familiar before; not once. She was so different from the others that he imagined a flower sitting alone in a bare, dark field.

This made Sora feel sad - but he couldn't know why - and a wave of questions, emptiness, and the feeling of forgetting something important returned to him. He wanted to help her, make her not so alone. Before he could go and approach her, however, she had disappeared, and Sora was forced to head upstairs and call it a night.


	3. The Worst Roommate

**The Worst Roommate**

Sora woke groggily to the sound of his alarm clock. He had set it earlier than usual, to get used to his out-of-hospital hours once again, but that didn't stop him from nearly crushing the damn thing as he hit the snooze button. He placed his pink elephant back into the corner of the bed and pulled his blue-brunette hair from his face; head still buzzing slightly from last night's drinks.

He looked around at the darkened room - messy, just the way he liked it - until he realized it wasn't entirely messy at all. Half of the room was now orderly and neat, and it was only then Sora realized that another figure was sleeping in the second bed.

He had expected this, and was curious to know who the knew guy Matsuri had mentioned would be. Sora waited until he heard gentle snores - to make sure the person was still asleep - before getting up and looking over at his roommate for the first time.

It took a lot of will to stop himself from gasping.

In the bed was the girl he had seen on her own last night, but no, not a girl, Sora realized, _he was a boy._ Now that he was closer, there was no mistaking it - he could see it more in his collarbone and face. This was also a boy's only school, the girls from last night having left, and Matsuri would not have let a girl into his room without telling him first.

Then, as if to be entirely sure, Sora pulled back the sheets stealthily to see his form better. He blinked his eyes in disbelief at the sight - he was _definitely_ a boy - but given some distance, a skirt and some make-up, Sora was sure anyone would be fooled. Sora also had to admit that he was very beautiful; his pajamas were thin and clung to him, his skin was smooth, and his body just looked so _fragile-_

His roommate muttered in his sleep and rolled over.

Feeling slightly perverted and ashamed of himself, and still in a kind of awe that such a person even existed, Sora tore his eyes away and headed for the showers to get his day started.

When he returned, a towel wrapped snugly around his shoulders, the sun was up and pouring light into the room. His roommate was already dressed in his school uniform and packing his books. He wore bunny slippers, and Sora felt a little bit better about his giant, stuffed elephant.

"Hi." Sora said cheerfully, getting his attention. "I'm Sora. Hashiba Sora."

The boy gave Sora a look he had never seen before - was it pain, happiness, envy? - but in a moment it was gone and Sora was sure he had imagined it. All he could see now was the boy's fierce, light amber eyes.

"Sunao." He said. "Fujimori Sunao." His voice was light and lilting, but there was something icy in it too - a bitter coldness. He did not soften his glare.

"Nice to meet you, Nao." Said Sora. Sunao's cheeks turned pink; but Sora knew that it was out of anger.

"It's Sunao." he said stonily. "Not 'Nao'."

Sora, who was used to a comedic and lively atmosphere, didn't know how to break such an awkward silence. And _why_ did he look at him like that; like he was some big, bad, terrible guy?

Sunao lifted up his bag, changed his shoes, and left the room without another word, leaving Sora standing there, dumbstruck.

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><p>"He seems to really <em>hate<em> me." Sora told Matsuri at lunch later that day.

"Don't be stupid, Sora, he was really nice to me." Replied Matsuri. "And smart, too. I could use a guy like that for marketing." He mused.

"And he even got _Nagase_ to like him!" Gaku added. "I had him in my science class earlier, and they acted like they really knew each other." Sora found that hard to believe. Nagase Kai had next to no emotion - unless it involved chemistry.

"You should see the way he looks at me.. Like he wants to murder me.. As if I didn't have enough problems.." He swirled his cup ramen around - why was he so hung up over this? "And it's weird, I feel like I know him from somewhere."

"Maybe you do." Said Gaku with a fang-like grin. "You don't remember any of your past."

"That's true." Matsuri continued. "And some people are just stubborn; you'll have to accept that. I kind of like it."

"Why me, though?" Sora despaired, putting his head on the table with a thud.

"No offense, Sora," Matsuri told him, "But _everything_ seems to happen to you."

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><p>Sora accepted that Sunao was probably just a stubborn kind of person, but after a few weeks of living with him, Sora discovered Sunao wasn't just stubborn - he was completely, and utterly, <em>impossible<em>. Sora never thought he would ever meet a person so much unlike himself; he cleaned, read large books, spoke logically, had an attitude, and above all, never agreed with a single thing Sora ever said.

It didn't take long for the bickering to start; and Sora began to deliberately keep the room messy just to annoy him. In retaliation, Sunao had tortured him by playing very slow, boring music in the room for days.

It didn't help that Sunao had somehow become good friends with both Matsuri and Gaku, and he now had to see him even more at lunch times and study breaks. The other two found Sunao's personality towards Sora adorable; Sora found himself wanting to throw his own books at Sunao's stupid, long-haired head.

Sunao had even gotten him in trouble with President Nagase, in his very first week. Sunao had stuck his tongue out at him during a lecture, and Sora's reaction had gotten him a detention cleaning the chemistry department. The way Matsuri put it; Sunao was nothing more than a playful kitten, but Sora had the impression of a very angry tiger.

There were also smaller, creepier drawbacks. Sora found himself often getting dizzy when thoughts of Sunao filled his head for too long, and the emptiness of something being wrong, something being forgotten, would return tenfold.

The mystery of how he had fallen from the building seemed to make even _less_ sense to him now, and he rolled explanations around and around his head, each more farfetch'd than the last. Sora couldn't explain why this was happening to him, but he knew that the dizziness and confusion had not started until Sunao had come into his life.


	4. The Three DoItAlls

**The Three Do-It-Alls**

Sora grabbed his breakfast tray and sat down with the others. Sunao had been talking to Matsuri and Gaku, but immediately fell silent as Sora sat down. Gaku giggled and Matsuri looked simply amused. Sora decided to _try_ and keep things friendly.

"Good morning, Nao." He said. Sunao's eyes flashed dangerously.

"It's Sunao, Hashiba." He reminded him again, "Please don't talk to me so casually."

Sunao continued eating, a defiant kind of frown on his face, and Gaku and Matsuri were giving each other awkward glances, as well as trying not to laugh. Sora spooned down his cereal, swallowed his fruit and started on his morning rice with gusto, eating down his annoyance. Sunao gave him a look that said, quite plainly, _do you _ever_ stop eating? _Sora smiled and kept gorging, as if replying with, _nope!_

The group continued talking casually, Sunao and Sora not so much, until Matsuri said something that was never good news.

"I have an idea!"

Sora cringed, and Gaku actually looked like he was about to run for it. Even Sunao knew Matsuri well enough by now to know that this was nothing good, but he was polite enough to ask "What idea, Matsuri?"

On cue, as if waiting his whole life to be asked that question, Matsuri pulled a poster from his bag as well as some leaflets he'd clearly copied out himself. The poster had a slogan written in big, colorful, impossible-to-miss letters "The School Do-It-All Team. We do it all!"

"And what exactly does _that _mean?" Sora asked incredulously. "School _do_ it alls? Is this something dirty?"

At these words, Gaku finished eating, made an excuse about being late for class, and zipped out of there.

"Well, there goes Ichikawa." Sora said. He and Sunao were unfortunately a lot more loyal to Matsuri, and always listened to his wild, crazy schemes. He gave Sora and Sunao a leaflet that read:

**The School Do It All Team**

We do it all!

From cleaning, to singing, to partying, to personal requests!

Also offers an After School Club, where non-members can get in on the action!

Funds go directly to the Do-It-All members as well as to the school dorm premises.

When we say we Do It All, we _mean_ we _Do It All!_

Founding Members

_Honjou Matsuri  
><em>_Hashiba Sora  
><em>_Fujimori Sunao_

Sora felt his eye twitch after reading the paper.

"How are we members if you didn't even _ask _us yet?"

Sunao's cheeks had also turned pink again, this time for sheer embarrassment.

"What do you mean, we _Do It All?_" Sunao asked, scandalized. It made Sora happy they had at least one thing in common - they both knew Matsuri was nuts. He knew Sunao had a short temper as well, often displayed with punches on Sora himself, and it was with very much control indeed that he was not strangling Matsuri on the spot.

"Hey, it's a good idea!" Matsuri said, ecstatic, _completely_ ignoring their looks of horror. "We've already got some requests-"

"_What?" _Sunao and Sora said together. As soon as Matsuri started reading off their 'new jobs'Sora and Sunao knew it was far too late to escape the devious clutches of Matsuri.

"We should have gone with Gaku." Sora said.

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><p>Sora had to admit, after a while, that being a "School Do It All" was actually kind of fun, and Matsuri was certainly making them a profit. The only drawback was that Sunao was almost always doing his jobs with him (Matsuri being more of a manager, and weaseling his way into getting the easier jobs).<p>

The pair started off with cleaning the campus from requests by the teachers, but as popularity grew, Sora and Sunao found themselves serving drinks at a high-class party, rescuing cats from trees, helping at the nearby elementary school, and making costumes and decorations for the coming holidays. The more time Sora spent with Sunao, the more he saw his cold attitude towards him beginning to melt. Well, he wasn't yelling at him as much, anyway.

Sora and Sunao entered the empty lab classroom, which President Nagase had allowed Matsuri to use for his After School Club. A small crowd, including even Gaku and Hano, came to hang with them and help out. Matsuri handed them an envelope, which held his and Sunao's next job.

"'Take pictures of the old science institute?'" Sora read.

"Nagase wanted information on it for some reason. You can only take pictures, though - the buildings on the verge of collapse." Matsuri said.

"Is it the old one a few blocks down?" Sunao asked. Matsuri looked surprised.

"Yeah. You've been there?"

Sunao's light eyes held something indescribable. He looked like he was about to be sick.

"I've been there."

Matsuri gave them his camera to borrow, and they all decided it was too late to go and take the pictures now, and that they'd do it in the morning. Sunao gave Sora a peculiar look before trotting off to Gaku and Hano.

"Well, is it working?" Matsuri whispered, his eyes shining.

"What?"

"Are you two getting along better?"

"I knew it." Sora said, "I knew you gave us all these jobs together just to stop us fighting."

"Sunao is a good match for you." he said. Sora felt he could hit him; he knew Matsuri was unpredictable, and that you learned not to let anything surprise you when he was your friend, but that was just too much.

"I don't swing that way." Said Sora, but he felt a pang of uncertainty as he said it.

Hadn't he thought that Sunao was beautiful when he first laid eyes on him, girl or not? And hadn't he deliberately pulled off his bedsheets that first day in their room, to check him out?

Matsuri patted Sora on the shoulder, a knowing kind of smile on his face, and went to sort out more of the Team's requests. He watched Sunao chatting with Gaku, and when he felt Sora's gaze on him, blushed pink and turned swiftly away.

Sora didn't think they could _ever_ get along, but with Matsuri's meddling, at least now they could try.


	5. The Science Institute

**The Science Institute**

Sora and Sunao woke early to take their pictures of the science institute. Sora wasn't too happy about this - it was the weekend - but if Nagase needed photos, it must be for good reason. Sunao was even more on edge than usual, and even though he knew Sunao didn't want to go, he couldn't help but think it was something personal, too.

Matsuri unlocked the gates for them as dorm head.

"Remember not to go in the building, Sora. I know you're going to try."

"I won't." Said Sora, a little annoyed.

"And be nice to Nao."

"_He's_ the one who's never nice.." Sora muttered. Sunao was pulling on his sweater and dutifully ignoring him.

"And how come _you_ can call him Nao?"

"Because Matsuri isn't an idiot." Said Sunao. He took out Matsuri's camera and stalked off. Sora scowled after him.

"Have you ever met _anyone_ so _infuriating?_" He asked heatedly.

"No, but I've met someone close." Said Matsuri with a wink.

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><p>It wasn't too long a walk, and Sora wondered why he had never been to this part of the town before. As they approached, Sora saw the framework of a very broken down building. It was crumbling in places, and the closer Sora got to it, the stranger he felt.<p>

It was as if his very legs were trying to stop him from walking any closer. His mind started to feel dizzy, dizzier than even Sunao had made him feel for the past few weeks, and his vision began to blur. He stopped, and saw Sunao huddled up nearby. He was astounded to see that he was having worse, and similar, problems.

"No!" Sunao said, his lilt voice breaking. "I can do this! Let me go!"

Sora realized that he was not talking to him - but there was no one else nearby. Sora fell to his knees, feeling as sick as Sunao looked, and tried to hold his head steady. He didn't understand why, but he had to get out of here, had to get away from here! If he didn't get away _now_- He had to, he had to get away-

Sora looked directly at Sunao, who was still having some kind of personal battle with himself, and the moment he did something inside of him changed. His vision failed completely, but before blacking out, Sora heard a voice, a voice deep and foreboding and familiar-

_Ran!_

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><p>Sora woke up in his bed. Matsuri was sitting on Sunao's bed, and looked relieved to see Sora was awake.<p>

"Finally! I was getting worried." He said.

Sora nodded in a kind of daze. He then bolted up right as he remembered what had just happened.

"The institute! What happened? Where's Nao?"

"It's okay, Sora." said Matsuri. "Nao already explained. You were both feeling tired, and so you came back here. I told Nagase the camera wasn't working - you don't have to get the pictures."

"What?" said Sora. That didn't make any sense; not at all. "But how did you get me back here?"

Now Matsuri was the one looking confused. "What are you talking about? You walked back, Sora."

Sora knew that was not what had happened. He had blacked out, and a voice - he had heard a voice...

"Anyway, Sora." Matsuri said, "Your mother called while you were out; she says you should check in with her more." Sora nodded; that sounded like Nanami, the overprotective Mama Bear. They sat in silence for a while, until Sora found himself needing to speak. He decided to tell Matsuri something that had been on his mind for a while.

"Matsuri, I was thinking - what if me having no memories has something to do with my real parents?"

It took Matsuri a moment to answer.

"It's possible." Matsuri told him carefully, "Traumatic experiences have been known to wipe memories."

"What if.. What if maybe I saw-"

"You know, Sunao is an orphan too." Matsuri interrupted, not letting Sora say something so gruesome.

Sora stared.

"What? I didn't know that."

"Well maybe if you talked to him more, you would know that." Matsuri said gently. Sora took the hint; if there was anyone he could talk to about such feelings, it should be Sunao. It hurt Sora to realize that he didn't really know a thing about him.

And it made him confused even more when he realized that he wanted to.

Matsuri gave Sora a smile and left the room, leaving Sora alone with his very confused thoughts.


	6. Ran

_I wish Ran and Sunao got more love. We need more Sukisho fics out there - no wonder they're so deprived.._

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><p><strong>Ran<strong>

It was around midnight Sora felt the soft lips against his neck, the warm skin pressing up against his, and the smell of someone so sweet and so luscious and so new; as tender and rare as a hibiscus rose...

Sora, still half asleep, unconsciously put his arms around the lovely form, his body growing hot as they continued kissing his neck, and to his surprise, fondling his chest and stomach. He saw long, light brown hair brush over his face in the moonlight as he opened his eyes...

_Mmnnh...Wait a minute..._

_. . ._

_WHAT?_

Sora jerked up and threw Sunao off of him. There was a loud gasp of "ah!" as he hit the floor with a thud, and Sora lifted up Toshizou over his head – ready to use the stuffed elephant as a weapon.

"What the hell, Nao?" Sora whisper-shouted, as it was still night. "You just – _molested _me!"

There was an irritated moan from beneath him, and Sunao stood up, brushing himself off. He held his head in the air away from him, but in a proud, elegant way; not the stubborn 'nose in the air' way Sora was used to. His change in posture gave Sora pause.

"Nao?" He whispered.

"Don't call me 'Nao." Said he. "My name is Ran."

And he looked at Sora in the eyes.

Sora's smile faded instantly and was replaced with utter shock. At first, he had started to smile, because he was sure that Sunao was going to give him the usual "don't call me Nao, Hashiba, it's 'Sunao!'" but he had said _that_ instead, and now he had turned to him, and Sora was _terrified._

His eyes, once a brilliant amber, were now completely pitch black. His pupils were dilated entirely, swallowing all of the color, and Sora found himself scrambling backwards toward the wall. It was not just the eyes – Sunao was wearing a strange kind of smile, and Sunao _never_ smiled at him. Sora fumbled off his bed and towards the door, he needed Matsuri, or Nagase, or even a doctor-

"Don't go!" said the voice. He could hear it more clearly now: Sunao's lips had moved, but that voice was _not _Sunao's. It was higher, more exotic, and held a teasing kind of lust. Sora dropped his hand from the doorknob; and he did not know why.

"Nao, what's wrong with you?" Sora asked. "What's wrong with your eyes?"

"What's wrong with _yours_?" he said, smiling even more. Was he teasing him? Fujimori Sunao, the most uncute, stubborn, and unhumorous boy in the world was _playing_ _with him?_

"You're scaring me." Sora said. "Nao, you're really, really scaring me."

"I _told_ you my name is Ran!" He said. He started to pout with his hands folded across his chest, standing defiantly. "And I want to see Yoru – _right now!_"

"I don't know what you're talking about or what you're doing, but it isn't funny!" Sora said. He went over to Nao and decided to look properly at his eyes again; he knew Nao wasn't having some kind of seizure, at least, but he knew dilated pupils was _not_ a healthy sign. He went over and brushed the locks that framed Sunao's – or rather, _Ran's_, face back, looking into those eyes.

They were definitely black.

"Nao, we need to get you to a doctor!"

"Are you seducing me, Hashiba Sora?" Ran said playfully when Sora had not moved his hand away. "I remember_ your_ eyes, too – clear, pure blue..."

He sighed. Almost girlishly, Sora thought.

"I want to see Yoru!" He whined, and attacked Sora again – trying to kiss and hold any part of Sora he could reach. Sora drew back, but Ran kept advancing. A crinkle appeared on his brow as he kept trying, something he knew Sunao did when he was frustrated.

"Why isn't he coming out?" Ran said. His voice was painfully sad, and Sora had the sudden urge to hold him, to comfort him – not unlike what he wanted to do the first time he ever saw Sunao; such a lonely being, a flower in the mix.

"Don't you realize I'm here, Yoru...?" A few hot tears flowed down his cheeks. His voice was getting weaker, like he was losing strength. "Don't you still love me...?"

"Nao – I mean, Ran – I don't really know what's happening here, but... It's okay...It's all right. Don't cry."

Ran drew away from him and sniffled on his sleeve. He looked at Sora again.

"It will never be okay..." Ran said. "You, Sora, have no right to tell me things are okay...!"

He lost breath in his last word and fell forward in a dead faint.

"_Nao!" _Cried Sora, and he caught him before he fell. He held him off the floor, and for a while they were like that, basked in the beams of moonlight from their single window, in the quiet silence of the night.

He stirred, and when he opened his eyes, Sora gave an audible sigh of relief. Sunao's eyes were bright, brilliant, and amber once more.

He shoved Sora away from him forcefully, and for once, Sora was very happy about that.

"Nao! Are you okay? It _is_ you again, right?"

Sunao didn't answer for a moment. And then:

"It's not 'Nao' Hashiba. It's Sunao. How many times do I have to tell you?"

And he climbed up onto his bed, pulled his sheets over himself, and haughtily turned away. Sora did the same, but was a lot nicer to his blankets, and had Toshizou to cuddle with.

"Are you gonna tell me what just happened?" Sora asked into the room.

He wasn't expecting Sunao to answer: at least not until he was ready, but then he heard his voice resound in the room, and even though it was harsh, it was familiar, and it was Sunao, and his voice lulled him into a peaceful slumber:

"Go to sleep, Hashiba!"


	7. Secrets

**Secrets**

The next morning, Sunao did something he had never done before – he sat with Sora for breakfast.

"I need to talk to you."

Sora swallowed the morning rice he'd been wolfing. Sunao narrowed his brows in obvious distaste – how could he even put that much food in his _mouth_, let alone _swallow _it?

"Going to tell me what happened Nao?" Sora asked. Sunao's eyes flashed dangerously at Sora calling him by his nickname - not to mention as a pun - but he let it slide for...now.

"Yes. As my roommate, I decided that you have a right to know. But – you'll think I'm crazy..."

"No offense, Nao, but I've always thought you're crazy." Replied Sora immediately, taking a few more bites of rice.

"Fine. I have DID."

Sora blinked a few times. Sunao stared back at him.

"You don't know what that is, do you?"

"Not a clue." He pushed away his breakfast tray, looking sulky that it was now empty.

"It's short for 'dissociative identity disorder.' I think you understand what it's effects are from last night."

"Boy, do I..." Sora muttered. Sunao made an irritated noise at this: to Sora, it sounded like "hmpf!"

"So, you have serious mood swings. Got it."

"No, Sora." Sunao explained. "The second personality isn't another _mood_. He's another _person_."

A dramatic pause emanated as that sank in – the kind Sora thought only happened in movies. He wondered how they looked to the others in the cafeteria: with Sora, sprawled carelessly over his chair with his legs stretching out under the table, and Sunao, who was sitting politely, though proudly, with his hands neatly in his lap. How so very different they must have looked...

"An entirely different...person...?" Sora managed.

"Yes. Ran has his own thoughts and his own feelings. I can't control him, but with some effort I can see what he's doing."

"That's...incredible. But how is that possible? How did it happen?"

This was the wrong question. Sunao tensed suddenly in his seat, and Sora wasn't sure, but it seemed he was holding his breath. He gave the impression of someone depressing a deep, aching pain.

"I was born with it." He said. His cheeks turned slightly pink, and he started to fidget in his lap. At this Sora could tell that he was lying, but he let Sunao keep that comfort. If he didn't want to talk about it – well, the least he could do was respect that.

"But... is there anything _else_ I should know?" Sora pressed. "Anything at all?"

Sunao hesitated, and for a moment he parted his lips just a fraction, desperation in his eyes – he wanted to tell Sora something, to just tell Sora everything – but then he closed his mouth and looked defiant again. Instead, Sunao said:

"I just need you to be careful. If Ran ever comes out with you again, be on your guard. I know he doesn't seem like it, but he _can_ be dangerous. And don't listen to a thing he says."

Sora's brow raised a little. If Sunao told him _not_ to do something – well of course he would do it. Sunao must have realized this, too, because now he looked furious with himself.

"Well, at least – don't tell Matsuri or the others. I don't want them to worry."

Sora nodded. That promise he could keep. He could tell this was personal.

"I'll keep your secret. But, Nao?"

"What?"

"Don't keep anything from me. Okay?"

Sunao looked away.

"I'm not your friend, Hashiba. I'm telling you this because I'm your roommate and nothing more. Please remember that."

And with that he got up and walked away with the bell.

* * *

><p>In the showers that night, Sora had another dizzying spell. It came unexpectedly, and it frightened Sora a little, because he had thought he was done with them. He sat on the shower floor with his head between his knees until the world stopped spinning. The showers were his thinking place; and because his head was still full of Sunao from that morning, he'd felt uneasy again.<p>

Sora didn't know if he was asking the right questions anymore. Should it have been "Why does thinking of Nao make me feel like this?" or "Why am I thinking of Nao?" He didn't know; and he didn't understand.

Sora stood up and washed himself when he was sure he wasn't going to faint. He lathered his dark hair (blueish in certain light) and realized that he wasn't okay with not knowing anymore. He wasn't okay with not understanding. He wasn't okay with how things were between Sunao and himself.

He accepted that he needed to untangle his past – right then and there – no matter how scary it might be. And what on earth was this feeling he felt deep inside, this feeling for Sunao?

He didn't know.

He finished cleansing with these thoughts, and when Sora turned off the shower nozzle, he could have sworn he heard someone laughing.


	8. Matsuri's Plan

**Matsuri's Plan**

Sora spent his day off helping Matsuri with paperwork. It wasn't _actually_ paperwork – well, not really – just sorting fliers, money, and what seemed like endless requests. By now, he'd gotten the entire student body involved in the School Do it Alls in one way or another.

Sora sneezed randomly. As he sniffled, he wondered if someone was talking about him, or perhaps thinking about him – Sunao? Or maybe Sunao was talking _to_ Ran about him thinking about him?

Sora stopped there, because it was making his head hurt. How did that even _work?_

Sora's mind wandered as he helped Matsuri organize the requests. They were getting a lot of lovey-dovey ones lately, and Sora remembered that Valentine's Day was fast approaching. He found himself brooding over what kind of person he would like to spend his days with...someone cute, sweet, kind, yielding – he scoffed internally. Someone the exact opposite of Fujimori Sunao.

Great.

"Can I ask you something, Matsuri?"

"Mhmm." He said, absorbed with his 'work.' His emerald eyes and golden hair clashed violently with the schoolroom. "Ask away, ask away!"

"Um – well, how do you get girls to...er...like you...?"

"What are you talking about? You've had girlfriends before."

"Well yeah but, this is different, and a lot more complicated..."

"I'm listening." Said Matsuri with a grin. He'd put his papers down. That probably wasn't a good sign...

"Well, let's say that, _hypothetically, _the girl is a little temperamental, really damn stubborn, has a medical condition, and really, _really_ hates me..."

"Sora, we both know you're talking about Nao, so– "

"I am not!" Sora said defensively. Matsuri put his hands up.

"Okay, okay! Well then, I'd say money and good grades. One or the other _always_ gets the girl."

Sora groaned.

"That's not the advice I was hoping for."

"Hmm...I know!" He slapped the desk in sudden inspiration. "I have an idea!"

"Shit. Forget I said anything– "

"I'll have it ready in no time, don't you worry about a thing! The science institute plan didn't work last time, but maybe..."

Matsuri gathered the remaining papers, still muttering to himself, and was out of the room before you could say "money." Sora did a facedesk when Matsuri had gone.


	9. Water Droplets

**Water Droplets**

The day ended as it usually did – the only difference being that Matsuri had disappeared. Sora didn't brood on what he could possibly be up to - he didn't want to know.

Sora decided to take another shower before heading to bed. What with his forgotten past, Sunao and Ran, Matsuri, the accident – everyone had to find a place to think and mull things over, if only for a little while.

Sora made sure the showers were completely empty before going in. He liked being alone when he thought, which was why he usually showered so late, and he was happy for the quiet, save for the sounds of running water. It was when he undressed and stood directly under the spray that he heard the bathroom door open.

_Someone else up late?_ Sora wondered. He shrugged it off and was busying himself with lathering his chest, until –

"You really grew, didn't you, Sora?"

Sora nearly slipped on the water and fell on his ass.

"Wha – Na – _Ran?_"

Ran was standing on his tip toes, peeking over the stall door. Sora didn't care _how_ many times he saw them: those black, piercing eyes would always give him a shock; especially peering over at him like that, while he was _naked_–

"Piss off!" Sora growled. "Or at least let me get some fucking clothes on!"

"No - thank - you!" Ran said in a singsong voice, each word a different pitch. "It's easier this way." And Ran pushed the door open (they didn't lock) and stepped inside.

"_Are you crazy?_" Sora yelled.

"Shh! You're going to wake everyone up." Said Ran.

Sora scooted to the edge of the shower cubicle – this was _weird, _he thought, this was really, _really weird _– and waited for Ran to leave an opening, so he could slip past him and escape. It was especially awkward because Sora was still completely nude and dripping wet, while Ran was still clothed. His shirt and pants began sticking to him, his long wet hair clinging to his neck and chest, not unlike the curled stems of a flower.

"Just to be clear, Sora," Ran said. "I don't like you. I don't like you at all – "

"_Then get out of my shower!_"

"But this is the only way I know how to force him out." Ran continued, ignoring him. "This is the only way I know how to tell him I'm here..."

"Tell who?" Sora asked. "You said something like this before."

"My Yoru." Ran replied. "He's the one who lives in you...just as Sunao lives in me."

Sora felt a hand clutch at his heart and squeeze it tightly – felt the hand of fear. Yoru was...him?

"I don't believe you." Sora whispered. "Sunao can have this, but not me."

"Why is that?" Ran asked, his head cocked to one side. "Don't you wonder what happened in all those blank years – the ones you've forgotten?"

Sora shrank back. He had never told Ran that he didn't remember his past. He had never even told Sunao...

And that voice - and the laughing...

"Either way, I don't care. I don't care what happens later, and I don't care about the past." Ran finished. "I just want to see Yoru – here and now!"

And he got on his knees and took Sora in his mouth.

"_Ah!_" Sora gasped. "Ran, stop!"

But he didn't stop. He sucked vigorously, eagerly, the water dripping down his clothes and around his legs. Ran's clothes were completely soaked now, but that didn't slow him down. Sora's body ignored his mind and gave reactions all on it's own, throbbing hot against the crimson tongue of Ran. He couldn't help but feel good, and his knees started to turn against him, thrusting slowly between Ran's parted lips as he sucked–

He knew, though, that it wasn't right– Not like this–

"_I said stop!_" Sora yelled, grabbing a fistful of Ran's hair and pulling him off. He squealed a feeble "ow!" as Sora yanked him up.

"Why are you always trying to rape me!"  
>"Why doesn't he come out!"<p>

They both looked at each other, breathing hard. They'd yelled their questions at the same time. Ran swatted Sora's hand away, and he let go of his hair. He gingerly wiped his mouth with his sleeve, brow furrowed. Whether it was water or Sora he was wiping off - he couldn't tell.

"Why stop me?" Ran asked. Sora pitied him, then, because he could tell he honestly didn't know. What was in Ran's past...? Was it nothing but this...?

"Because it's not fair to Nao." Sora said. "I know he hates me. And I don't even know you."

Ran's eyes brimmed with tears.

"You're a good person, Sora..." he said. "But don't think that makes me forgive you."

"I won't." Sora replied, a little confused.

"And...I don't think Sunao hates you. Not really." Ran mused.

"Really?" Sora asked. Why did that give him tiny buds of hope?

"No one knows Sunao better than I." Ran confirmed. "But, he can be weak with his emotions...weaker than me. Only I can protect this body. Only I can keep us safe. Remember that, Sora. If only this one thing, remember me and Sunao..."

And Ran quietly opened the stall door, closed it, and walked back to their room, leaving a trail of puddles in his wake.


	10. Matsuri's Plan in Action

**Matsuri's Plan in Action**

3...

"You're...joking. Please tell me you're joking."

2...

"This is so embarrassing, Matsuri!"

1...

"Tadaaa!" Said Matsuri, hanging up a huge banner that read:

**FESTIVAL OF LOVE**

He pulled a cracker out of nowhere and pulled it. Bits of confetti flew everywhere and landed in Sora and Sunao's hair – both of them staring at Matsuri like he had gone mad. The banner had to be at least ten feet long, complete with satin ribbon design and tiny red and pink hearts surrounding the word _love._

"Valentine's is coming up soon! You didn't forget, did you?" Matsuri said slyly, his laughing face all aglow. "For the occasion, I'm hosting a festival for not one, not two – but _three_ school districts this year! There will be hundreds of people..."

"WHAT?" Said Sora.

"...there will be fireworks!"

"This sounds like it needs a lot of planning, Matsuri." Said Sunao.

"...there will be lots of games!"

"That I'm _not_ paying for." Said Sora.

"...there will be kissing booths!"

"That's dirty, Matsuri!" Said Sunao.

"...but best of all, there will be a competition for best couple – and you two are the first runners up!"

Stunned silence followed his words. Sunao was blushing furiously, and Sora's mouth was wide open. Matsuri came over and closed it for him.

"We're not a couple!" Sora hissed in his ear.

"Not yet.." Matsuri muttered.

"_What?_" Sora growled.

"Nothing!" Said Matsuri hastily. Sunao was staring at them both with his hands by his mouth, his face uncertain.

"Pa- ri- ti- _please_?" Matsuri begged. "You have your job as a School Do-It-All, and it would be _so_ much better if we had a role model couple! And you two are just so cu-"

"If you say we look cute together I swear I'll punch you." Sora warned. Matsuri was unaffected by his threats – as always. He turned to Sunao, who had just finished plucking confetti fluff out of his long hair.

"What about you, Nao?"

Sunao hugged himself and was thoughtful. Finally he sighed in defeat – the only time Sora would ever see him do so.

"I don't want to be around Hashiba – but I want to help Matsuri, too..." He said softly. Matsuri grabbed Sunao by the hands, eyes twinkling.

"I knew you'd help me, Nao~!" He sang. Sunao looked like he was already regretting it, but he managed a smile anyway.

"Even if it's just pretending, we'll help make this festival the first and the best!" Sunao said with vigor, getting motivated from Matsuri's shining aura. Sora felt a little stung when Sunao said 'just pretending,' but if it was for the Do-It-Alls...

They both looked at him, waiting for his answer. He scratched his head lazily and sighed.

"You win, Matsuri. I'll help, too."

* * *

><p>The sound of hammers, chatter, and clatter filled the schoolyard. Matsuri had assigned each Do-It-All their own booth to design (which, if you remember, is most of the school body). For an all-boys school, everyone was more animated than Sora was expecting – nearly everyone was using their day off to get started on their booth. With only a few weeks til Valentine's, everyone was eager to put their ideas into Matsuri's Festival of Love, and Sora couldn't remember the courtyard being so lively. He couldn't help but smile ear to ear as he dragged an enormous box across the activities, listening to everyone discuss how great it would be – and who they would be going with. His smile faded a little when heard someone whisper:<p>

"...and they're both guys..."

In an unsettled tone. Sora "tch'd" in irritation and continued hauling his box. _Who cares about stuff like that? If two people love each other, then they should be together –_

Sora's stopped in mid-haul. He had just realized that they had, most likely, been talking about Sunao and himself...

"Soooraa!" Someone called, snapping him back to reality. It was Gaku, and he was carrying a bundle of test tubes.

"Yo." He replied. "What are you working on?"

"Love potions!" Said Gaku with a fang-like grin. "President Nagase gave me the idea – it's really just soda, but I'll figure out how to make it glow pink and red!"

"Cool."

"What about you?"

Sora opened the box for Gaku to see. Inside lay stage equipment and red, velvet curtains he was supposed to be cleaning.

"Sunao and I are in charge of the Best Couple competition.." He said, rolling his eyes. "And he's making us compete."

"Oh come on, Sora, it sounds like fun! I know you'll win for sure." He said happily. "I wonder if Nagase would ever...I mean I wish I could enter! Ha..ha." Gaku finished nervously. Sora laughed, and was struck with the sudden urge to see just that very person.

"Do you know where he is right now?"

"The President?" Gaku replied curiously. "He just finished telling some guys off for using the lab without permission a while ago. He's probably still there." Sora nodded, closed the box with all their stage supplies shut, jumped over it, and ran off.

"Hey – wait - !" Gaku called. "Don't make other people do your jobs, Sora!"

But too late; Sora was running towards the science department, a light bulb flicking persistently over his head. It just seemed so _obvious _now – Sora had so many questions – _scientific_ questions – about his loss of memory, the voices, and Sunao – that he needed to know. And here was President and Scientist Nagase, just a few buildings away, this whole time – and even right before it all started.

Sora ran with purpose throughout the campus. Nagase had answers.


	11. Another Me

**Another Me**

Nagase Kai's eyes reflected tiny moons as he held a test tube toward the light, his demeanor as mysterious as the other side of it. He set his equipment down with soft clanks and waited patiently for Sora's question.

He decided that first, he wanted to know more about Sunao.

"Dissociative Identity Disorder, you say...?" Said President Nagase. "You understand how that works, Hashiba?" He raised one of his dark eyebrows. He knew Sora hated (and failed) his science classes, but he _did _always come out to help clean the lab with Gaku, so he hoped he didn't look _too_ suspicious in coming here...

"Yes. And I have some...um...'hypothetical' questions too." Sora said. "For study." He added quickly. If Nagase saw through his pathetic attempts at lying, he didn't comment on it. Nagase was passionate about his work, but he wasn't what you would call a 'chatty' sort of person. He was more likely to create the next generation of Cyanide than he was to tell someone 'good morning.' In short – he didn't care what Sora hid behind his questions, so long as he asked them quickly.

"Go on." Said Nagase.

"Well, you know how there are different people in the person with the disorder? The DID...thingy?"

"Split personalities, yes."

"Well, is it possible for the two personalities to be _actual_ separate people?"

"...Explain that."

"Like, be a completely different person with their own thoughts and own feelings. And maybe one could... take over the other one..?"

Nagase was thoughtful.

"Nothing in science is 100% impossible without proof. In order for the mind to be split like that, and house two people...It'd be extremely complex and difficult to achieve, not to mention if they share 'active times'...if that's what you were implying by 'taking over?'"

Sora nodded.

"Well then, if it _is_ possible, it's very, very rare."

"...really rare?"

"Very. As I just said." Said Nagase. He looked bored, and busied himself with cleaning his used test tubes as Sora talked.

_So Sunao is either really special – or something is really wrong. _Sora thought.

Next, his memories...

"Also, I was wondering if you had a guess as to why I don't remember my past." Sora asked. Nagase surely knew of that by now from his building-crash accident and the school records. "One of my friends told me before that traumatic events can wipe memories...is that true?"

"Very true, but the memory is usually suppressed, not wiped, willingly or non-willingly. In my opinion, you seem to have memory loss from something akin to a head injury. Perhaps you were dropped on the head as a child." He chuckled. Sora didn't let it get to him, but he was reminded that Nagase was only a few years older than he was.

"Actually – you could tie those two together." Nagase said thoughtfully.

"Tie what together?"

"Memory loss and DID. If, _hypothetically,_ two people existed in one body, then it's possible one personality would be more dominant over certain parts of the brain than the other. It would be an easy thing for one side to black out memories – namely, ones that are traumatic or painful...and who knows, maybe the second personality could stay active during that time."

Sora put his hands in his pockets and looked at Nagase with interest.

"You know a lot about this sort of thing, President.."

"I do a lot of research." Nagase replied. "Isn't that why you came to me?"

Sora laughed nervously.

"Yeah, I guess so..." But he wasn't convinced. At first he thought Nagase would be suspicious of him for his questions – but now Sora felt it shifting the other way around.

Nagase busied himself with his equipment again, paying little attention to him or anything else. When Sora realized the discussion was closed, he nodded to Nagase and headed for the door. On the way out Nagase spoke, without looking at him, and almost in a whisper:

"Be careful where you walk and what you do, Hashiba. You never know who may be watching."

* * *

><p>The laughter, yelling, and sounds of work Sora heard upon exiting the lab seemed louder to him, somehow – surreal. He had learned more than he had expected to learn, enough to make his head start spinning, but the school and the world went on as it always did.<p>

His past...Sunao...his past...Sunao. They rang in an intertwined circle that never seemed to end – never made any sense. Sora rounded the corner of the school before he could be seen by the crowds and slumped against the wall. He felt dizzy, he felt confused – he felt weak...

"_...actually, you could tie those two together..."_

What if he tied himself and Sunao together, just like the President did with his questions? Would he find any answers?

Sora took the long way to enter the dorms, and headed directly into the bathrooms. If he had been paying attention, he would have realized that his feet were taking him there of its own accord – and not by the will of his own.

Sora splashed cool water onto his face and neck, shivering all the way down. It rang and rang in circles and circles, _Past, Sunao, Past, Sunao, Memories Memories where are your MEMORIES._

_They're connected. Sunao is connected to my memories. He always has been.. _Sora thought. _Sunao is...special._

Sora looked up into the mirror. He saw his usual face. He saw his blue-brunette hair.

He did not see his sky-blue eyes.

The Man in the Mirror was grinning almost cheekily back at him, two piercing, fierce black eyes dilated fully - just like Ran's. He was having a hallucination with the left one (what else could it be? He thought) because bright yellow mist seemed to cover it, giving that single eye the color of a predator's – a hawk's, or perhaps a wolves'.

Perhaps neither.

_It's been a while, Hashiba Sora._

Sora gasped lightly and backed away from the mirror, but the image of the man stayed. He grabbed at his face and moved his hands in short panic - and found them completely okay.

_Don't worry, I'm not the one in control right now. _Said he. _Just thought we'd..._chat.

Sora recognized that voice...that deep, powerful, foreboding voice.

"You called out for Ran when I was at the science institute..." Sora recalled. "And laughing – I've heard you laughing before..."

_Maybe._ The man said slyly. That face was his face, but it was not his own, and the longer he looked, the more differences he saw. He realized that he was actually looking _up_ into the mirror. The man was taller than him, and more strongly built.

"Who are you?"

_I am Yoru. _Said he. _I_ _dwell within. _He winked. _You don't remember, of course, but I've guarded you since you were very small._

"Guarded...me?" Sora said weakly. "Then why have I never seen you until now?"

_I waited for you to try and find out for yourself, Sora. _Yoru explained. _True strength is within oneself; past even me._

"This is crazy! This doesn't make sense! This- This..."

This was crazy _because_ it made sense.

Didn't he, Sora, just confirm that it was possible? Hadn't Ran claimed to even _know _this Yoru person, even knowing him by name? Hadn't he blacked out, twice now, only to wake up and discover he had done something he knew he had never truly done? Hadn't he crashed through a two-story window?

_I _am _you, Sora._

Sora walked forwards towards the mirror, weak and confused, and touched the image of Yoru with his fingers – trying his best to accept what was.


	12. Another You

**Another You**

Sunao Fujimori sat on the floor with his legs tucked neatly under him, hand-sewing a dress. He was trying to put lace onto it and give it a princess like feel, and he was proud that, so far, he was doing a pretty good job. He had decided to work in his dorm while everyone else was outside, and it was peaceful to work in the quiet. If Sunao had been a cheery kind of person, he probably would have started to hum.

_You're not going to _wear_ that, are you? _Came a teasing, lilting voice. The voice came as an echo and far off – the way people sound in memories.

"Be quiet." Sunao said, his cheeks turning pink. Since a young age, he couldn't help his prominent blushing – it was furiously uncontrollable, not unlike other things...

_Wearing a dress, with that body of yours? _Said Ran. _Do you _like _trouble?_

"It's not for me, it's for the winning couple." Sunao said hotly. He knew Sora wouldn't be able to do something like this – and he wanted to help Matsuri just like everyone else. He wanted to be useful; he wanted to be needed. And because he was working with Sora – well – didn't that mean Sora needed him, too..?

_Want to daydream about sex with Sora? _Ran said in his sing-song voice. _You be Sora, and I'll be you!_

Sunao's hand slipped at these words; pricking his middle finger on the needle. He groaned and quickly moved his hand away so he wouldn't get blood on the new dress.

"Now look what you made me do..." He said. He held his pricked finger to his mouth and sucked tenderly on it.

_I was only teasing. _Ran said lustfully; but he could sense it was only part of the truth. For Ran, eroticism was one of those things you could never get enough of.

_Oh well~ _Ran sighed. Even inside his head, Sunao could hear that sigh, and it was a very odd experience, but something he was accustomed to. _It would be better with Yoru, anyway. _Sunao scoffed. He knew that Ran didn't give a damn about Sora. It was Yoru – always Yoru...

_Does it hurt, Sunao? _He asked playfully - sarcastically. _Want to switch with me?_

Sunao laughed without humor. Ran was teasing him again – cruelly, this time. Ran never spared Sunao simple pains. Ever since he was a child, Ran would only switch with him in the most drastic of times. When Sunao asked him why, he had responded with words fit and yet unfit for a child to hear - _"Because I won't spoil you, that's why." _

And so Sunao had endured.

_A needle prick to the finger...that's nothing, my Sunao. That's nothing to what you have felt. And even less to what _I _have felt..._

"I know." Said Sunao. He let his hand fall limply into his lap. The bleeding had stopped.

_Don't you forget what happened there. Don't you ever, ever forget. _Ran's voice had an edge to it this time, full of nothing but the blackest of anger and hatred, just as black and dark as his eclipse-colored eyes.

Sunao didn't respond. That was the thing about Ran – he existed to protect him, and he existed to guard, and Sunao was thankful and grateful beyond measure. But he reminded him, always, of just what he was being guarded from: over and over again...

_Oh well, Yoru will come to me soon, just like a prince~! _Ran sang, his childish tone back to normal again. _And then...then we can do what we planned! _He giggled. Sunao looked at the floor, and he felt the presence of Ran leave him. He knew that Ran had gone to "sleep" again, and there was never any telling of when he would reappear.

It was quiet, and Sunao wasn't sure if he liked it like that anymore.

"Just like a prince...huh...?" Sunao said to the empty room. How great that would be, for someone to save you from the darkness and sweep you off your feet. As much as Sunao wanted to believe in it, he knew that just wishing and hoping would never make it come true. No matter how much or how long you hoped..

"...Kuuchan..."


	13. In the Dark

_I could really go for a soda right about now.._

* * *

><p><strong>In the Dark<strong>

_Sora was standing atop a pool of water, the soles of his feet lightly submerged. He was surrounded by utter darkness. He looked up into that black sky, only to see a single speck of red fall gently down. More followed suit, until thousands of what appeared to be bright red snowflakes floated down. They fell onto the water and lit up the area with their red glow. He caught one in his hand, and realized what it was._

"_Flower petals?" _

_Sora let the petal lay on his palm – where it melted as easily as snow, leaving a crimson, wet streak where it did. Sora quickly wiped it on his jeans – blood, this was _blood_, but it was no use. The flowers continued to fall on him until his clothes were soaked red, his body weighed down by it's slick weight._

_And he heard screaming. Distant, distant screaming..._

"_Is someone out there!" Sora called. _

_The screaming grew fainter, and fainter, until he could no longer hear it. He wasn't sure, but it had sounded familiar. It had sounded like...children._

"_..Kuuchan.." _

_Sora turned around. Sunao was there. He was looking down, his face sorrowful. The petals that fell on Sunao didn't stain him red like they did Sora – they simply disappeared._

"_Sunao?"_

_Sunao didn't answer._

"_Sunao! Whose blood is this?"_

_Again he didn't answer. A single tear fell down his cheek. He turned away and walked across the water, away from Sora._

"_Sunao!" Sora called. "SUNAO!"_

_Whose blood is this...?_

* * *

><p>"Sunao! SUNAAAAAOOOOOOO!"<p>

_WHACK!_

"I SAID WHAT, HASHIBA?" Yelled Sunao. He'd literally slapped Sora awake.

"Su- Sunao...?"

Sora sat up in bed, holding the cheek Sunao had hit. They were on his side of the room, and Sunao was standing over him, his hair in disarray from sleep. Even in the dark Sora could see a tinge to Sunao's cheeks.

"What happened?"

"You were having a nightmare. So I woke you up."

"Gee, thanks.." Said Sora, still rubbing his cheek. It hurt. For such a delicate looking guy, he could really throw a punch.

"You were saying..weird things in your sleep." Said Sunao. He looked away, embarrassed.

"Like..what..?"

"Something about blood..and you kept..calling my name." Sunao blushed deeper.

"Oh. Sorry." Sora looked up at him. He was so beautiful, tired as he was, standing in the moonlight like that...

"Well, goodnight..." Sunao said, and he headed back to his bed. Sora's hand reached out and gripped him by the arm, pulling him back.

"Wha-? Let go!" Sunao tried to wriggle free of his grip, but Sora was stronger than he was. He was just as surprised as Sunao looked – until he realized he _hadn't_ wanted to do that. His hand had acted on it's own.

Sora groaned and put his head in his hands. A dizzying, aching headache..

"Hashiba?" Sunao asked. He had his hands halfway out towards Sora, unsure if he should comfort him or not. "Are you okay?"

Silence. Then-

"You get more beautiful by the day, don't you, Sunao Fujimori?" The voice rang out low, strong, and clear.

"Yoru." Sunao gasped. He took a step backwards. "When did you come back?"

"I never left." Yoru replied. He was looking at Sunao peculiarly - the way a thief eyes a diamond, perhaps.

Sora, meanwhile, had his vision blurred and his mind dizzy. The only way he could think to describe the switch was "locked." Locked in his own body. Locked in his own mind. It had been less dramatic than he had thought it would be, and faster too.

_Try and stay awake this time, Sora. _Yoru told him.

Sora tried to focus, and with some effort found he was able to stay conscious, because this time, Yoru was helping him. It was like staring through a foggy window while shifting in and out of a waking dream. The less you focused, the more you could see.

"Let Ran out." Yoru commanded. Sunao's eyes flickered to the door, but he must have known running would be useless. Yoru was faster than him, too.

"No." He said firmly.

Yoru walked forward and grabbed Sunao by the throat. Not tightly, but enough to scare him. He drew Sunao's face close to his. Sunao clawed at Yoru's hands, struggling to get free.

"Ran." He whispered. "I'm here, Ran.."

Sunao groaned and turned away, and Yoru let go of his neck. He put his hands on his head, and Sora could only imagine the battle that was taking place within. Sunao must have put up a good fight, because he actually fell down before they switched, grimacing all the while. Sunao lay slumped on the ground, breathing hard.

Yoru kneeled down next to him. He might have been watching the weather – he didn't honestly seem to care much, or perhaps he was just used to this sort of thing. Yoru pulled Sunao up over his lap easily, weighing basically nothing to him. He took a lock of light hair and twirled it around his fingers. And then he waited. Just like that.

"..Yoru.."

Ran slowly opened his eyes, and Sora saw him smile for the first time – a _real_ smile, a _happy_ smile. It was a lovely thing to see, but it was awkward. Sora wondered how long it had been since he'd smiled like that.

"..Yoru..!"

Ran threw his arms around Yoru and squeezed him tight. Sora wasn't sure, but it felt like Yoru was smiling, too.

_Wait a minute. Yoru, you really _do_ know Ran?_

_Of course I do. We're married._

_WHAT?_

It took Sora a minute to put two and two together. He and Sunao didn't get along, but Yoru and Ran were- were-

_Oh, no._ Sora thought. _Oh, SHIT._

And Sora could only sit there, locked in his own mind, as Yoru tilted up Ran's chin and leaned down into a kiss.


	14. The Orchid and the Night

_I'm not good with ecchi things, so I did the next best thing and used material from the games (Trademark Platinum Label). It's more or less just my translation of one of the sex scenes with some other stuff thrown in._

_...this is definitely not rated T anymore._

**The Orchid and the Night**

_Please don't, Yoru, please don't-  
><em>_Quiet. _Said Yoru.  
><em>How can you be married? How did you even <em>meet_?  
><em>_Later. _Yoru replied.

Sora tried to argue back, but found his thoughts weren't reaching Yoru anymore. Great. He was able to block him out, too. He remembered what Nagase had told him and realized that made sense. Connections worked both ways, and if Yoru didn't want to listen to him – well, he wasn't going to, and that was that.

Yoru held Ran and kissed him again, harder this time. Ran kissed him softly back, quivering a little. Sora could tell it was in pleasure.

Yoru trailed his lips across the scruff his neck, and Ran lifted his head up with his eyes closed, letting Yoru kiss him where he wanted. His kisses started off gentle, but that didn't last long.

"Mm.."  
>"Feels good?"<br>"Yes.."

Ran hugged Yoru tight as he kept kissing and fondling him. There was a bruise on the back of Ran's neck, Sora noticed. Yoru ignored this and sucked a little ways away from it, not stopping until a hickey mark formed. He put both his hands under Ran's shirt and lifted it up in a bundle over his chest. Yoru rubbed both of Ran's nipples until they rose bright red, Ran squirming underneath him, his control and breath breaking.

Sora couldn't tell how Sunao was reacting to all of this, but he imagined he was probably screaming. Or trying to ignore it. Maybe both.

"Yoru.."

Ran gently reached down and grabbed him. He then rose up and planted a single, soft kiss on his cheek.

To Yoru, such a gentle caress was equal to torture. He wanted Ran, after being apart from him for so long, and he wanted him _now._

Yoru ripped off Ran's shirt and threw him down. He kissed him hard, rubbing his thin chest with one hand while he held himself up with the other, looming over him in the dark. Ran let out a sweet voice, and Yoru tugged his pants down an inch, wanting to hear more of it.

"Yoru.. Stop it.."

Yoru's fingers crawled along Ran's gentle curves, tracing the line of his body. He pulled the rest of his pants off in a few swift movements, throwing them aside. Impatient, he started to rip off his underwear next, but Ran playfully twisted his body away from him. Yoru scolded running away by grabbing another nipple and pinching it. Ran let out a moan and his body shook. His cheeks and face were dyed bright red, but it wasn't the same as Sunao's blush.

Yoru tore Ran's underwear off, and Ran cowered and tried to hide himself from Yoru's rude glance. When he tried to close his legs, Yoru forced them open again. He tickled and flicked Ran's nipple one more time before burying his head between Ran's legs.

"Haa..Yoru..! D-don't.."

Yoru sucked and swallowed Ran like it was a natural thing, and Sora could feel both Yoru and Ran's bodies becoming hotter and hotter. He could feel Yoru burning with that desire. He licked persistently, and Ran clutched at Yoru's hair desperately. He fought with himself, trying not to moan too loudly, but Yoru saw through him. He realized what Ran was doing almost immediately.

"Ran, let your voice out."  
>"N-no.. It's embarrassing.."<br>"Let it out for me."  
>"Does Yoru like it..?"<br>"Yes.."  
>"Then, for Yoru, okay.."<p>

Ran's gasps became louder, that sweet voice echoing throughout the room. Sora wished Matsuri would hear and come stop them.

The strength of pleasure was too much for Ran when Yoru continued again. He arched his back and called out wildly for Yoru – to Yoru...

"Yoru..!"

Ran came, and Yoru drank him in. He licked every drop of the sweet honey, and it was becoming impossible for him to endure any more. Yoru licked two of his fingers and slid them into Ran. His body was extra sensitive now, and his voice only got louder. Sweat stuck to them both, and Ran's light hair clung to his bare skin. Even like this, Yoru found him incredibly beautiful, and he furiously sought for him. He slid his fingers out after teasing him, and Ran trembled a little.

"Are you scared? It's just me."  
>"It's because it's you.." Ran smiled at him. "Yoru is so rough.."<br>"Mm. But you like it, don't you..?"  
>Ran leaned up and gave him a wet kiss. "Yes.."<p>

Yoru's brutal desires finally overflowed, and he quickly pulled his pants down and shoved himself into Ran. The first thrust made Ran let out a gasp that was closer to a scream, and tears started to bud at the corners of his eyes. He was forced to fall back to the floor, feeling nothing but Yoru, thinking of nothing but Yoru. Ran tried to push back at Yoru's thrusts, but he was moving so strongly Ran could barely find the power to open his eyes. He let Yoru take him over and over again, in and out and in and out..

"Ran.."

Yoru sped up even more, and Ran couldn't take it any more. He came again, and it felt like he was going to die in this hot, violent, wonderful world. Yoru came almost exactly after him, filling Ran's insides up – sticky and hot. Ran quivered and put one of his hands on Yoru's face, trying to show love without words, because he couldn't find the strength to talk anymore. Yoru had drained everything out of him, took everything from him..

Yoru understood. He held his hand over Ran's, not having to say anything, either. Ran smiled and closed his eyes. By the time Yoru had slid out of him, Ran had passed out and fallen asleep. He picked him up bridal style and laid him on Sunao's bed. He covered him in his blankets, and moved a lock of his hair to clearly see Ran's sleeping face.

"Goodnight, Ran.."


	15. The Promise We Made

_Too..much...love..! *BOOM* (exploded from all the love)_

* * *

><p><strong>The Promise We Made<strong>

Sora woke up first. The first thing he did – compelled by his own instincts, confused as they were – was to go and check on Sunao. He leaned over Sunao's bed, who was just visible in the morning's first hints of daylight. His eyes were open, and he was crying. When he realized Sora was there, he pulled the sheets over his head. Sora didn't know what to say. He didn't know what he _could_ say.

"I'm sorry." He tried. "I'm so sorry, Sunao."

Sunao didn't answer. He heard another sniffle under the sheets. Blowing caution to the winds, Sora touched the blankets where Sunao's shoulder would be. He lightly squeezed him, whispered "I'm sorry" as earnestly as he could one more time, and went to leave him alone.

When he got dressed and was about to let Sunao have all the quiet time he wanted, he heard Sunao speak from beneath the sheets.

"I'll be okay, Hashiba." He said, in a gentle voice that was very unlike him. "It's okay."

* * *

><p>"You there, Yoru?" Sora muttered under his breath. It was still very early, and hardly anyone was about. He wandered through the school, hands in his pockets.<p>

_I'm always here. _Said Yoru.

"No you aren't." Sora said. "I've never even met you before – but apparently I have..."

_In reality, there were only a few months in which we were apart. _Yoru replied. _You've just forgotten._

Sora was angry with that answer. Always, always, always – things _always_ centered around his memories!

"Why? Why don't I remember anything!" Sora kicked a wall in his frustration. "Will I ever remember?"

_It's not whether you _will_ remember. It's _when_. A part of you doesn't want you to remember, because it's frightening for you. Too frightening to handle right now. And that part of you is me._

"You..? Yoru, you can give me back my memories?"

_Of course I can._ Yoru said, almost smugly, _I'm the one who took them away._

Sora stopped dead in his tracks.

"What? WHY?"

Yoru didn't answer him, but he could sense Yoru was both amused – and cautious. Sora let it drop for now. Yoru was overconfident and sly, but he wasn't a bad guy. Despite their many differences, Sora, somehow, just couldn't help but trust him. He walked down the empty halls and headed toward the bathrooms. He decided seeing Yoru in the mirror again would be more comfortable.

"I hope Nao's okay." Said Sora.

_He said he was all right._

"That doesn't make it okay, Yoru! No matter _what_ you and Ran have. You basically raped him! So _I _basically-"

Sora couldn't say it.

_If Sunao really felt that way, Ran would have put him to sleep. _Yoru said. _"Sleeping" is what we've always called one or the other becoming unconscious._

"We can do that?"

_Yes._

"Have you ever done that to me?" Sora asked curiously. "Besides that time at the science institute, I mean."

Yoru was quiet for a while until he spoke again. When he did, it was slow and uncertain – not the confident tone Sora had gotten used to hearing.

_When...things became unbearable, you would sleep, and I would take the pain in your place. _Said Yoru,_ We took turns, because sometimes you could cope with it better than I could. You used to call it "tag-teaming in the face of evil!", and I would always laugh at you. We thought we would always be all right, because we had each other. Ran and Sunao were the same._

"What things?" Sora asked. "What pain?" He'd reached the school bathrooms and looked into the mirror, so he and Yoru could speak face to face. Now he could see Yoru's expression become sad, and he sighed before continuing again. It was a coarse, worn out sort of sigh. The sound of someone who had seen too much of the world, and was tired from it.

_You and I were a team. _Yoru said, _But Ran was my everything. And Sunao was _your _everything..._

_Let me tell you a story, Sora. No – a memory. A memory I will never forget._

* * *

><p>It was a dark, bare room with white walls – walls you could barely see in the blackness of the night. There were no lights; only a single, barred window. Other than this, there was nothing else but a small bed and a door – always locked.<p>

Two children were huddled together on the bed. It was the "usual place," because the bed was the warmest. The window was wide open, always, and so the nights were always cold. The children wondered if anything was even out there, because no matter how loud or how often they screamed, they were never heard.

They held each other in the cold – in an innocent way, with no desire and no greed – just the simple comfort of becoming warmer. They were both covered in bruises, bandages, and cuts. Whenever one was taken without the other, angry screams or crying followed. Sometimes, they were punished for crying. Sometimes, they were drugged with things they couldn't understand. Sometimes, they weren't fed. This was one of those times.

Ran's stomach growled, and Yoru held him closer. They were the protectors, and tonight it was their turn to shield their other selves from the cold.

"Are you hungry, Ran?" Asked Yoru.

"Uh-huh.." said Ran, weakly but in his usual, musical tone. His voice was even higher pitched as a child.

"You can have my next meal." Yoru offered. "You don't look so good."

"I can't do that, Yoru!" Ran said, looking up at him.

"It's fine, it's fine!" Yoru scoffed – a kid putting on a tough face. "I don't need as much to keep going."

Ran smiled. "We'll share it, then!"

Yoru smiled back and patted him on the head.

"How's your other half?"

"Sleeping. How's yours?"

"The same. That's good, because I want to tell you something, Ran. Just to you."

Ran looked puzzled. They always just told each other everything – Yoru had never announced it before. He knew this must be something important.

"Okay!" Said Ran.

"When we get older, we're going to get married." Yoru stated, matter-of-fact.

"What's that?"

"It's when two people put rings on, and then they have to stay with each other forever."

Ran's eyes brightened. "Okay!" he said happily. "If it's with Yoru, okay!"

"You can't say yes yet!" Yoru said, "I have to kneel and ask you first!"

And so Yoru took Ran's hand, and they went to the very middle of the room. They were just visible in the moonlight, who watched the ceremony from between the bars. It was a sad thing, a sweet thing, an honest thing. Little Ran and little Yoru, standing in the semi-darkness of a closed cell.

Yoru got down on both of his knees (who didn't know you only kneeled on one) and Ran put both of his hand's in Yoru's. It would be the first time Ran would ever blush and smile at once, completely happy, even if he didn't completely understand.

"Will you marry me?" Asked Yoru.

"Yes!" Said Ran, and Yoru got up and pecked him on the cheek.

"We don't have rings, though." Ran said, a little disappointed.

"When we get out of here, I promise to get them." Said Yoru.

"Promise?" Ran asked. Yoru pulled Ran to him, and they hugged.

"Promise."

A little while later, Ran and Yoru went back to their single bed, cuddled up, and fell asleep.

Two children's promise...  
>...to love each other.<p>

It was an innocent wish.

* * *

><p>"Good morning, Sora!" Matsuri called. "Where've you been?"<p>

"Just talking with a friend." Sora replied. He was about to add "in a mirror" but knew that was asking for a trip to the crazy house. He trusted Matsuri with his life, and they were best friends, but he wasn't ready to tell him about Ran and Yoru. Not yet.

"Sunao wanted to eat breakfast with you. Said he wanted to talk." Matsuri said with a cheeky wink. Even now, he was _still_ playing matchmaker. Even though it had been only a day, it felt like he'd been working on Matsuri's Festival of Love a very long time ago.

"Did he say about what?"

Matsuri shrugged. "Just to talk." And with a wave he wandered off. Sora wondered if it was really okay to try and get close to Sunao again, and he was unsure. When his stomach growled, it decided for him, and he went to the cafeteria for breakfast.

Sunao had indeed wanted to talk to him. He saved him a seat in a corner of the lunchroom, and Sora sat down with him with his tray. What surprised Sora the most was that he didn't have anything important to tell him – Sunao actually just wanted _to talk_. About everything and nothing at all – how Ran was, homework, Matsuri's crazy ideas. They even laughed here and there. _God, Sunao has a wonderful laugh _Sora thought.

"Oh, Yoru told me about a memory he and Ran had..." Sora said, "It was about them making vows as kids." Sora laughed a little awkwardly, and Sunao laughed too.

"Ran used to tell me that one all the time." Sunao replied, "It really means a lot to him."

"Yeah. When Yoru first told me they were married, I thought he was joking. I guess not."

Sora shoved the last of his food into his mouth. "Where were they, though?" He asked. Sunao gave him a look.

"Yoru..hasn't explained that yet?"

"He said he'll tell me when I'm ready, or something like that.." Sora said. He shrugged and ate the rest of his breakfast with a grin. He stopped when he realized it was him being so cheerful that was making Sunao upset.

"I'm sorry, Nao." Sora said, then he furrowed his brows when he realized he didn't know what he was sorry for. Sunao looked away.

"Yoru exists to protect you, Hashiba, but sometimes he protects you too well. Ran would never hide things from me like that."

"Could you tell me, then?" Sora asked. "I want to trust Yoru. But I want to trust you, too." He said. Sunao's face became painful.

"Back then...things...weren't so good for us." Sunao's face made Sora think that he had just made a _huge_ understatement.

"What things? Nao, please. We have to talk to each other."

Sunao's face reflected the heart he was struggling with, deep inside. He broke contact with Sora's eyes and finished eating his rice. This was his childhood friend, that much he had learned – this was his childhood_something_. Everything Sora wanted was sitting right in front of him, but he was still unable to grasp it. It was like trying to catch smoke – battle fire.

"I don't know anymore, Sora." Sunao said. "I just don't know."

* * *

><p>That night, Yoru came out. He went to Sunao's bed and woke him up – but he wasn't Sunao for long.<p>

"Yoru?" Ran said. He sat up in bed and cuddled close to Yoru. "Two nights in a row?" He said playfully, "You should be nicer to people's bodies."

Yoru laughed. Sora had never heard him laugh before – it was loud but enjoyable.

"Don't tempt me, Ran. I have something else for you. Come with me?"

Yoru offered a hand and Ran took it. Holding each other like this, they walked out of the room and outside, led by Yoru. He seemed to be taking them to the top of the building.

"How is Sunao?" Yoru asked.

"Not as mad as I was expecting." Ran said, "He stayed awake the whole time. I think he wanted to."

"Sora, too." Yoru said. "The kids will learn to love again someday. Sora will remember, Ran. I promise. I promise you too, Sunao."

Ran smiled. Sora wasn't sure, but perhaps Sunao was smiling behind him, too.

Yoru led them to the final hallway, climbed the final set of stairs and opened the door for Ran. They stood outside on the top of the two-story building – the same height Sora had fallen from what seemed like ages ago. Ran's eyes sparkled with stars and reflected the slither of the moon.

"It's beautiful!" He sang. Yoru watched him skip around the rooftop and even do a twirl – it made Yoru laugh. No matter how many years passed, Ran was always a playful, beautiful little thing.

Yoru went to the corner of the roof and pulled out something. He felt Sora's surprise, hidden under his own thoughts.

_When did you do this, Yoru?_

"Earlier. I put you to sleep. Do you mind?"

_No. _Sora said. _Well, not for this. Just tell me next time you do that..._

Yoru chuckled at Sora's irritation. Ran skipped over to Yoru.

"What are you doing?" Yoru smiled down at him.

"Giving you this." He handed him a box. It was dark, royal blue – wrapped in a red satin ribbon. Ran's eyes went wide. He took the box from Yoru but didn't open it yet. It looked like he was going to cry.

"Let's put the kids to sleep." Said Ran. "I don't know what's in it, but I think I do. I want this to be our moment."

"Sure." Said Yoru. "Goodnight, Sora."

_Yeah, yeah. _He heard Sora say. _Just don't have sex again. PLEASE._

Yoru laughed and closed off the part of him that held Sora's consciousness – his other half and soul. Ran closed his eyes for a moment, and he knew he had done the same.

"Sunao wanted me to tell you 'if you sleep with my body again, there will be trouble.'" He said. Yoru laughed.

"Sora said something similar. Now open it."

Ran did. Two plain but brilliant rings were inside – one silver and one gold.

Ran jumped up and hugged Yoru so tight he could hardly breathe. When they finally broke apart, Ran was smiling beautifully. Yoru wanted to see that smile again and again – so long as he still lived.

Yoru kissed Ran while he was still smiling, his face lit up in the night and glowing – the two of them surrounded by hundreds of stars. Now, they were open in this world of just the two of them. They were _free_.

"I love you, Yoru..." Said Ran.  
>"I love you too, Ran." Said Yoru.<p>

Yoru held Ran's hand to his lips and kissed it, before sliding the silver ring onto his finger, of beauty and of loveliness. Yoru then put on his own, as golden as he felt, as golden as his left amber eye.

"I kept my promise." Said Yoru.


	16. Vacation Day

**Vacation Day**

"THE BEACH, BABY!" Matsuri yelled throughout the cafeteria. He was standing on the lunch table and everyone was cheering.

"Everyone, we're taking a break from the festival work! You all better be at the beach by five!"

There was more cheering, and someone popped a cracker with confetti. Sora wondered where the hell everyone was getting those things.

Matsuri jumped off the table and sifted through the crowd to where Gaku, Sora and Sunao were sitting.

"You guys coming?" Matsuri said, in a tone that hinted they had no choice in the matter anyway.

"For once, I think it's a great idea!" Sora said exuberantly. "Something to break all the angst-angst in our lives."

"I loooove beach parties!" Said Gaku. He hit an imaginary volleyboll – Matsuri drank an imaginary lemonade (at least, Sora hoped it was lemonade).

"I don't think I'll be going." Sunao said hurriedly. The group looked at him suspiciously.

"Why not?" Matsuri said, disappointed. Sunao had never turned down any of Matsuri's ideas before.

"I can't swim." he said. The other three looked at him in shock.

"Really? That's too bad! Sora's a real athlete, so why doesn't he teach you?" Matsuri offered. Sora nodded, he wouldn't mind that at all.

"It's not that. I'm just, not good with water. It's okay, you can go on without me."

"No, Naoooo!" Matsuri whined. "Then just stay on the beach!"

"I ca-"

"Pleeeaaaaaassse?"

"Okay, I'll think about it!" Sunao snapped. Matsuri chuckled.

"See you all there, then!"

* * *

><p>The door to the library opened and closed. Sora figured he would be there – it was the first place he'd looked. He saw Sunao sitting alone at a table in the middle, absorbed in his books.<p>

"Oi – today's supposed to be a vacation day." Said Sora. Sunao turned around hurriedly, surprised that he was there.

"Hashiba..?" He said curiously. "You followed me?"

"I don't care if you can swim or not. You're_ going_ to relax. If anyone needs to chill out, it's you."

Sunao slammed his book shut. He'd looked happy for a moment, but it was definitely gone now.

"I didn't ask for you to come!" He said hotly. "This is just how I relax. You know I like to read."

Sora went over and sat down in the chair next to him. Sunao must have realized how close together that put them, because he shyly looked away. They were both still bothered by what Ran and Yoru had done, of course they were – but somehow, it was okay.

_If it's Nao, then it's okay. _Sora thought.

"I guess it's all right if we stay here, then." Sora said. Sunao looked back up at him at the words 'we.' He realized Sora had come here not to drag him out, but to stay with him. He seemed...glad.

"These aren't books, they're textbooks." Sora observed. "Where's the fun in that?"

"I think it's interesting, to see how Ran functions inside of me.." Sunao said. Sora read some of the book's covers – _Mysteries of the Mind, Dissociative Identity Disorder – Observed, _and _The Right and Left Functions of the Brain_ were a few.

"There's not a lot of information on it." Sunao said. "Of everything I've ever read, none of the cases have ever been like us. They were never different people like Yoru and Ran are – mostly just people with split personalities, or bipolar symptoms."

"Yeah. I asked Nagase about it the day I met Yoru," Sora paused there and gave Sunao a sideways glance, wondering if Sunao would be angry he'd asked one of the teachers something like that. When he didn't seem to mind, Sora finished "..and he said it was really rare."

"I guess so. President Nagase has always been really nice to me."

"That's cool." Sora replied. "He usually just yells at me to do my homework."

"Well, maybe if you did it you wouldn't have that problem!" Sunao scolded.

"If it's boring, it's boring! I don't do boring things." Sora argued.

"Nothing important will ever get done with _that_ thinking!" Sunao retorted.

"What are you, my mother?"

Sunao stopped arguing. _Damnit._ Thought Sora.

"I'm sorry, Na- Sunao." Sora said. He felt like he was always walking on eggshells with this guy. Was he trying too hard, or not hard enough?

"It's okay." Sunao said at last. "And, you can call me Nao, if you want to.."

"Really?"

Sunao nodded. Sora grinned at him, and this made Sunao blush.

"You're an orphan too, Hashiba." Sunao said. He didn't say it like a question. He said it like a fact.

"Yeah. But I've always been okay, somehow. My foster parents have always been there for me."

Sunao's smile became slightly forced. "That must be nice."

"Don't you have someone like that...?"

"Not really." Sunao said in a near-whisper. His soft voice made Sora realize that they were completely alone in the library.

"Well, then you have me." Sora said. "Okay?"

This time, Sunao's entire face went crimson. He really seemed touched by what Sora had said. And they were so close, now..

_Oh, just kiss him._ Came a voice.

Sora jumped out of his chair a little.

"Be quiet!" Sora hissed.

"What?" Asked Sunao.

"N-nothing!" Sora said, suddenly nervous. This would be a lot easier if Sunao weren't looking at him with such a cute face..

"Yoru?" Sunao questioned. Sora nodded.

"Oh. Well, Ran says hi."

"..hi."

Sunao paused for a second.

"He said 'not to you!'"

Sora laughed.

"Yoru didn't say anything, but, I'm sure he says hi."

Sunao smiled. The weirdness of it all was making them both smile like idiots – but it was a comforting thing, too.

"We should get back." Sunao said. He started to gather up the textbooks into a pile. Sora went to help him, and while he did their hands touched. Sunao moved his hand away, but not immediately like he would have before. This made Sora happy.

"Thank you for coming here." He said before heading out of the library, "It means a lot that you gave up the beach just to find me."

Sora was about to tell him he'd give up more than that - until he realized how cheesy it sounded. He gave Sunao a smile before he shut the library door, leaving Sora alone.

_...should've kissed him. _Yoru said.

"We're not like you and Ran.." Sora muttered. "And maybe I would have, if you didn't interrupt us like that.."

_Really, now? _Yoru teased, and he faded from Sora's thoughts, laughing. Sora fumed in his seat at that – Yoru always treated him like a little kid - but he was content with what happened.

Sora didn't need another personality and a stack of difficult textbooks to realize that something was changing.


	17. Fire and Water

**Fire and Water**

Sunao was sitting at his desk, doing some late night homework and sipping hot chocolate – his favorite. Sora had gone to take his usual shower, and Sunao took advantage of the privacy.

"Ran?" Sunao called.

_Mmm?_

"Are you still going through with the plan?"

_Of course I am._ Ran said with a hint of danger. _The real question is are _you_?_

"Yes." Said Sunao. He'd steeled himself from the very beginning, even if-

_Sora, he likes you. Doesn't that mean anything?_

Sunao stomped his feelings down. For this – he wasn't allowed to have feelings. Not for this..

"No." Said Sunao. "Kuuchan...he has to pay. He has to pay for what he did."

_For leaving you?_

"No." Sunao answered. "That will always hurt, but that I could forgive."

_Theeen?_ Ran said playfully. He was trying to get him to say it out loud, even though he knew all too well. Sunao har-umphed in an annoyed, dignified sort of way.

"Ran, you're such a child."

_No – I'm – not! _Ran said, whining. Sunao rolled his eyes. The two's plans were different, as they both wanted different things, but they followed the same branch. And for that, they needed strength. For that, they needed each other.

_Each other is something we'll always have._ Ran said, reading his thoughts.

Sunao picked up his mug and held the hot drink to his lips. _Each other. _Sunao had always liked being with his Kuuchan. No matter how terrible things were, it would always be all right because Kuuchan was there. And then – then he had learned the truth. Sunao's eyes brimmed with tears and spilled over. He put his mug down.

"It's all your fault." Sunao whispered. "Kuuchan – it's all your fault...!"

* * *

><p>Sora came back from the showers, drying his hair with a towel. He wrapped it snugly around his shoulders and peeked over at what Sunao was doing. Homework, of course. When did this guy do anything fun? Sunao glanced back at him but didn't seem too interested in Sora at the moment. He went back to his work and shifted his hair over his shoulder. As the locks moved, Sora noticed Sunao's neck and asked him something he'd wanted to know for a while.<p>

"Nao, how did you get that bruise on your neck?" Sunao turned around to look at him. Sora scratched his nose a little awkwardly. "I saw it back when Yoru and Ran – you know. Sorry."

"It's okay." Sunao said. He seemed really tired tonight – his eyes were a little red. "Actually... I think it's about time I told you, since Yoru won't."

Sora sat down on Sunao's bed (which was closest) and Sunao faced him so they could talk. He put a hand tenderly on his neck.

"This is a scar, from a bruise that will never go away..." Sunao began, "The place Yoru and Ran were in – it wasn't a hospital, or a jail or anything like that. It was a lab."

Sora didn't interrupt, but his eyes widened. It was strange to finally learn what happened so casually, but bitterly, and from Sunao's own mouth. Yoru quietly whispered between the lines.

_If things become too much for you, I'm putting you to sleep._ He warned. Sora didn't answer. If it came to that, Sora would fight with all of his might to stay awake. He _had_ to know.

"This bruise is from one of the injections." Sunao continued. "They tested a lot of drugs on us, mostly to see how they would work on children."

"That's horrible!" Sora gasped. He didn't like the way the statement sounded – 'horrible' just didn't seem to sum it up.

"There's more." Sunao said. He held his arms like he was cold. "Without Yoru and Ran – I don't know where we would be. I don't think I _want_ to know. They were the reason for most of what we went through – for the experiment to create a person within a person. The idea was that through a certain process, a very specific, planned, and complicated process – one could be made inside another. And it worked."

"What process?" Sora whispered.

"Fear. And pain." He managed. "I don't know a lot on how it works – but what you said back in the library made me realize you were right; we're rare. A special case. There may not even be anyone else like us. And that may be what they wanted..."

Sunao hugged himself tighter. Sora wanted to go over and comfort him, maybe even hold him, but he resisted the urge. He was going to sit there, and he was going to listen. He was going to find his memories.

"Fire...and water. Hashiba, if you were anything, I would say you were the sky, true to your name – clear and simple. I would say you went wherever the world took you, sometimes strong and sometimes confused, like the sea..." Sora looked puzzled. He didn't see how that had to do with anything, but he kept it to himself.

"What do you think I would be, Hashiba?" Sunao asked. Sora tried a smile.

"Fire." He said immediately. "Fiery and stubborn, that's you all right." Sunao tried to return the smile.

"We're opposites." Sunao stated. Sora nodded. There was nothing truer than that – he had known it since the very first day Sunao had come in as his new roommate.

"I've told you I can't swim, and while that wasn't a lie, it wasn't completely true, either. I've never even _tried _to swim before_. _Water – lots of it – it scares me... For you, Hashiba – fire is like that."

Sora was thoughtful. He knew he didn't like fire, he'd always leave whenever people cooked with it right away, but other than that he had never noticed before. It wasn't something he was around all the time.

"Why." Sora asked. He felt he knew what was coming – a part of him was sensing it. Had probably sensed it the entire time.

"For me, they threw me in a pool that was always too deep to see the bottom. I remember it being black and endless. And I was _eight,_ Kuuchan. I was _eight_!"

Sora nodded almost in a daze now – he just wanted Sunao to keep going. The name Sunao had called him sounded familiar, but he put it aside.

"They would dunk my head in buckets of water. Only when I choked would they let me back out, just to dunk me under again. I remember there was a room full of nothing _but _water, so cold it cut you right through the skin, and they would turn the lights off and leave me there all night." Sunao was crying. Sora didn't hold back now, he got up and gave him a quick hug. Sunao kept going.

"I don't know much of what they did to you." Sunao said. "We tried not to talk about it. But, you always came back in bandages and smelling like medicine – they'd heal you up just so they could burn you again. Once, you came back with half your hair missing. You wouldn't say anything for two whole days."

Sora tried to remember that, but found nothing but blackness. Yoru had gone quiet long ago, and Sora wondered if he was busy blocking them from him.

"It went on and on...then, as a last and final defense – you created Yoru, to guard and to aid. I don't know how it happened, but I remember I was waiting in the cell for you, and when you came back, you weren't scared at all – and I met Yoru. After that, Yoru taught me how to 'fall asleep' in my own head to escape the pain, and after that, Ran was born..." Sunao sniffled a little on his sleeve.

"It got a little easier, because now we could take turns. We were just kids, but Yoru and Ran were almost like adults. Sometimes, Yoru would get really scary. I remember we didn't get fed for a long time because Yoru was able to take a shot away from one of the green people, and he stuck it right back into him." Sunao laughed a little. "Yoru would always get really mad if anyone tried to touch Ran, too."

"What are green people?" Sora asked curiously.

"Oh – we used to call all the workers green people, because they were always in green uniforms. Sometimes we'd just call them 'the bad guys.'"

Sora and Sunao were quiet for a while. Sora took a chance and asked another question; he didn't like pushing Sunao for answers, but what else could he do?

"How did we get there?"

Sunao took a moment before answering that. He closed his eyes and took a couple of deep breaths. When he opened his eyes again, he was much more composed.

"I'm not really sure. I think we were kidnapped." Sora drew back from Sunao now that he looked more controlled. He felt that answer was unsatisfying, somehow. He could tell Sunao was being honest with him, but there had to be more to it than that..

"One last thing, Kuuchan." Sunao said. There was a desperate edge to him this time. "And then I don't want to talk about this anymore for a while."

"Okay." Sora nodded – but he wasn't sure he'd really be okay with that.

"When we were little, you, Matsuri and I...we used to be friends. Right before we were kidnapped."

Sora looked at him in shock. He didn't know what he was expecting, but it hadn't been _that_.

"We used to play together on a little green hill outside the school..." His face fell, and Sora was worried he would start to cry again. "Even Matsuri forgot about me. When I first came here, he didn't know who I was, but I was able to forgive him, because we only knew each other for a little while... But you, Kuuchan! For _you_ to forget about me, too...I can't even begin to tell you how much that hurt."

"I'm sorry, Nao." Sora said, at a loss of anything else to say. "I'm so sorry-"

"Don't apologize!" Sunao yelled. "I don't want..your pity.." His eyes brimmed with tears again. He seemed to be trying not to blink so the tears wouldn't spill over again, but of course he couldn't help it. Sora gave him his space this time.

"Is that why you hate me so much...?"

"...part of it."

"What's the other part?"

"..."

"Nao, what's the other part!"

Sunao shook his head, and Sora realized that's all he was going to be able to get from Sunao that night – and it was enough. Sunao got off his chair, went around Sora, and tucked himself into bed.

"Please get off my bed, Hashiba." Sunao said. Sora, feeling like they'd grown distant again, got off but didn't leave Sunao's bedside. He wasn't going to let Sunao run away from him – not anymore. He wasn't going to lose him again, whether he remembered it or not.

Sora pulled the blankets higher over Sunao, and he kissed him on the forehead.

"Goodnight." He said, going back to his bed without waiting for a response.

Later in the night, when Sunao thought Sora was asleep, he whispered back:

"Goodnight, Kuuchan.."


	18. Poison

**Poison**

Sora had a dream. A simple dream - the sort that you could barely remember the full image of, blurry and out of focus. He only truly remembered the sound of laughter, children's laughter, _his_ laughter, and the feeling of a pure, strong love. A pure, true friendship.

It was only when he woke up, staring up at the ceiling, that he realized it wasn't a dream. It was a memory, a distant memory of Sunao, Matsuri, and himself.

"Yoru?" Sora whispered. He wasn't sure if Sunao was up or not – it was early after all, and the weekend. Sunao was one who really liked a good nap, and a good sleep-in – so he was quiet...for now.

_Morning.._ Yoru grumbled. Sora thought it was hilarious how he sounded like he had just woken up from a night the couch, even though _he_ was the one who had really, truly slept.

"Hey, Yoru?"

_Mnh..?_

"Could you at least give me _those_ memories back? The ones of Sunao, and Matsuri... Those won't do any harm."

_Sorry, but no. _Yoru replied, _I can only give you back the memories I took from you myself – and I wasn't around when you were that little. You'll have to remember that for yourself._

Sora closed his eyes. "Well, then can you give me all the others back?"

_No. _Yoru said, in a voice that, with anyone else, would have probably settled the matter in an instant.

"Look Yoru, I get how you protected me, and I'm grateful.." Sora argued, "But I'm not a kid anymore. I can handle the truth. Sunao..Sunao shouldn't have to deal with this alone."

_It's not just about if you can handle it or not. _Yoru replied. His voice sounded lazy; bored. _When you find out the truth...what will you do?_

Yoru didn't elaborate, and Sora sighed. The first hints of daylight started to trickle into the room. He let Yoru win for the moment – and for the other memories..well, Sora was just going to have to remember on his own. Sora yawned and hugged his pink elephant. A smile was playing at his lips.

"You know what I'm going to do today?" Sora whispered, not waiting for an answer- "I'm going to get Nao something. I'll buy him a big thing of flowers – I don't even care if he hates it or not."

_You think that guy would like flowers? _Yoru chuckled. _He'd probably throw them right back at you. _

"Then I'll get him a book called 'Anger Management for Dummies.'"

Yoru chuckled lightly again. _He'd definitely throw that one at you._

Sora got up and pulled the blinds open. He was about to wake Sunao up, and take him somewhere – anywhere, even if he complained and yelled at him for waking him up so early...when Sora realized he wasn't there. Sora moved the bedsheets and found them empty. Sora felt Yoru's emotions within him change, fast as lightening. It went from relaxed, to suspicious, to worried, to dangerous before Sora could even blink.

"Yoru?" Sora asked, puzzled.

_The bedsheets. They were arranged to make us think Sunao was still there._

Sora dropped the sheets. Yoru was right – and it had worked.

"What should we do? Maybe he just wanted to go out, and didn't want to tell us."

_I don't think so._ Yoru said, _I've been waiting for something like this to happen. I figured it was only a matter of time before that man found out you were together again...and would want you back._

"That man?" Sora questioned. Yoru didn't answer, and Sora instantly became serious. Anyone that even _Yoru_ didn't want to name was definitely someone to worry about.

_Either way, I don't care. _Yoru said, that dangerous tone giving Sora a slight chill. _Go and find Sunao. Go and find my Ran._

* * *

><p>Sora looked everywhere he possibly could, but couldn't find a trace of Sunao. It was even harder because it was the weekend, and everyone was working on Matsuri's festival again – even the teachers were canceling classes for it now. It was looking good, and was so crowded with booths and working students Sora had to jump over basically everything just to ask people if they had seen Sunao around. None of them had.<p>

"He has to be somewhere, a pretty guy like him isn't hard to spot-" Sora muttered.

_Now isn't the time to get horny over Sunao's good looks. _Yoru said.

"Who said anything about getting horny!" Sora growled.

"Who's getting horny?" Came a cheeky voice. Matsuri came up to him, holding a pile of costumes with a megaphone stacked on top.

"I'm glad I ran into you, your prince outfit is all ready and I need you to-"

"Matsuri, have you seen Sunao?" Sora interrupted. Matsuri noticed Sora's tired breathing from running up and down the school. He dropped his smile.

"No, not since yesterday. Why? What's going on?"

"Nothing. I just can't find him anywhere, and I'm getting worried."

Matsuri put his smile back into place, this time comforting and consoling.

"You'll find him, don't worry. And when you do, tell him to give me the dress he's been working on. It needs a few adjustments."

Matsuri winked at him, and left Sora standing alone as he went to work on the festival.

Sora stood there, and he felt a piece of him restore. Upon seeing Matsuri's smiling face, suddenly the dream, the blurry memory from this morning – it came back to him in full focus.

He closed his eyes.

* * *

><p><em>They were standing on a little green hill. Everywhere, as far as his big, curious eyes could see, were wildflowers. Sora remembered that the school had christened them as "weeds", but such happy, beautiful things couldn't possibly be weeds. They danced in the wind, blew around them in puffs, and with some imagination, they blossomed in front of Sora's very eyes. <em>

_When a strong gust came, clusters of pollen whacked Matsuri in the face. He sneezed, and Sora giggled at him. Sunao then hit Sora on the back of the head for laughing at him – which made Matsuri laugh in return._

"_We should make crowns!" Sunao said energetically. He looked so happy and aglow in the sunlight._

"_They're called circlets, I think." Said Matsuri. Sora remembered their faces now – innocent and joyous – and he remembered how they're hair was much shorter then._

"_Circlets are for girls, Nao." Sora argued. Sunao's cheeks turned red in anger._

"_What did you say? I can make them if I want to!"_

"_Giiirl!" Sora teased. "Nao likes girl stuff! Cooties! Ha-ha!"_

_Sunao jumped onto Sora, and the two wrestled while Matsuri tried to pull them apart. By the end they were all covered in flower fluff, tired, and laughing._

"_You're so mean, Kuuchan.." Sunao pouted._

"_I was just kidding." Said Sora. "We can make some."_

"_And we can all be flower kings!" Matsuri exclaimed._

"_And one flower princess." Sora snickered._

"_Kuuchaaaan!" And he smacked Sora upside the head._

_Those days..were innocent. Those days..were pure. They had all made crowns, and they had pretended all the flowers were their kingdom. They had been masters of their own, special world._

* * *

><p>"We were flower kings.." Sora whispered, opening his eyes. But a poison had touched them, a monster had stolen them. All of their flowers had decayed the moment Sora and Sunao had been abducted, taken away by the man Yoru had refused to name. Sora, not knowing what else to do with himself, walked back to his room in a hurry.<p>

_I'll name him now. _Yoru said suddenly. _**Aizawa.**_

Sora stopped. The way Yoru said his name made Sora shiver – it had echoed deep into his mind, and it had recalled nothing good - only an endless abyss of acidic, torturous memories.

"Aizawa.." Sora said. The name felt disgusting in his mouth.

_That man is a poison._ Yoru stated.

"He's why everything was ruined." Sora said, his voice breaking a little. "He's why everything is wrong."

Yoru didn't answer that. Instead, he switched with Sora while he was least expecting it. He opened their room door and looked over the places Sora had missed; it seemed he wanted to check out the room himself. Sora didn't say anything as Yoru looked through Sunao's sheets one more time. He stood in the middle of the room for a moment and thought.

"If I were Ran, where would I hide something...?" Yoru said.

Before Sora could answer, Yoru had already walked over to Sunao's desk. He pulled open the drawers and found the case that had held his and Ran's rings a few nights before – midnight blue in red satin ribbon. He opened it, and inside the case was a small note, with only one word scribbled hastily upon it:

_Help_

"This is Ran's writing." Yoru said. "Sunao must have wanted to go somewhere Ran didn't, and so Ran did what he could and left us this."

_Isn't Ran stronger than Sunao, though? Like how you are to me?_

"Usually." Yoru replied. "You could overpower me if you truly wanted to, Sora. Sunao is no different. And that's what worries me – Ran must have really put up a fight, and wherever Sunao is..." Yoru held Ran's note in his hand and squeezed it in his fist.

Sora understood. He felt Yoru want to switch again, and Sora took over with a small shudder and gasp of breath. He immediately headed out of the room.

_Do you know where we're going? _Yoru asked.

"Yes." Sora said. "I've known it this whole time, I think. Since the day I first heard you speak – the last time you protected me."

Sora rushed outside. As soon as he left the school gates and hit pavement, he started running.

"The science institute." Sora finished. "It's the lab. The lab we grew up in."

_You have to be strong, Sora._

"I'll try – and fight best I can. For Sunao, I have to try. If I don't try – well, I have to try!"

Yoru laughed at him without humor. _You're either very mature or very stupid. I'm not sure which anymore._

"You'll stay with me this time?"

_Until the end._


	19. Wilt

**Wilt**

The place was desolate and cold. Sora wasn't surprised; he hadn't expected anything else. His footsteps echoed loudly as he walked, deep and resounding into his mind, into the abyss that should have held his memories.

_Down this hall and take a left._ Yoru said. _There should be a room that looks like a science lab. I think Ran will be there._

"Why?" Sora asked.

_A lot used to happen in that room. _Yoru replied. _It's mostly where they would drug us...and use us. Ran hated it the most – so he will be there._

Sora didn't question him and headed down the hall. It was a fairly short way, but walking made Sora feel like he was taking his last steps down to Hell.

_I'll kill Aizawa for what he did to Ran. _Yoru said suddenly – biting and harsh. _If he's there, I'll kill him._

"Why? Yoru, I don't want to kill anybody. Don't."

_Ran was Aizawa's favorite pet. _Yoru continued, ignoring his plea. The hate in his voice made Sora shiver. _I don't forgive._

Sora made it to the door. E-84 was painted on it, the letters old and peeling. He turned the handle and opened the door.

Sunlight didn't reach this room. There were tiny slits of window high up in the corners, but black sheets had been covered over it to block it's light. The rest of the room were lit by very old, hospital-like ceiling lamps – one of them flickering. Lab tables, sinks, and what looked like a work bench resided here. Sunao Fujimori was there, standing in the middle of the room.

He was walking free, something Sora hadn't been expecting. With the way his instincts were going on the way here, he'd been expecting ropes or chains or even torture chambers. But there he was, walking the way he always did, proud and without a worry.

He was even _smiling_, in a smug, sick sort of way.

"Hashiba." Sunao said. His smile didn't waver. "Thank you for coming. I wasn't sure you would."

Sora's fists clenched determinedly. "Of course I would! I'd always come and get you, no matter where you are!" He said.

Sunao's smile fell. It was as if he had been expecting Sora to say something cruel, _wanted_ him to say something cruel, and Sora hated that – hated that so much.

"Come on." Sora said. "Let's just get out of here. Okay?"

He took a step forward, and Sunao took a step back. He was looking uncertain. Finally he closed his eyes and opened them again – he'd made his decision.

"I won't. I led you hear to get my revenge, Hashiba. And that's what I'm going to do."

Sora was getting desperate now. A part of him – and a part of Yoru, too – was ready to grab Sunao, toss him over his shoulder, and drag him away from here; kicking and screaming. He could even tell that Sunao didn't want to be in this awful place, but still he stayed there, standing his ground.

"Why, Nao? What have I ever done to you? Let's just get out of here!"

A shadow in the corner moved and came forward. Sora looked at it, and he knew fear.

Eyes bright and deadly. Hair dyed a poisonous shade of dark green. A face that smiled fondly at him – a smile that made his stomach turn and clench.

_Aizawa. _Snarled Yoru. Sora felt Yoru about to switch with him, and using every ounce of will-power he could – Sora held him back. He felt Yoru's rage bubble within him.

_I shouldn't have told you you were able to do that. _Yoru growled. _But I'll let you guys talk. For now._

"Thank you." Sora whispered.

_Be ready for the truth, Sora.. _Yoru said, a little more gently. _The awful truth is just that – awful. And, Sora – I'm sorry._

And Yoru said no more.

Sora narrowed his eyes and glared at Aizawa. He was scared, yes, but he wasn't about to back down, either. Not in his life.

Aizawa came forward, but instead of heading to Sora, went over to Sunao. He forced Sunao into his arms and planted a forceful kiss on Sunao's mouth – but Sunao struggled and turned away. Aizawa chuckled and held Sunao in an iron grip, and Sunao couldn't fight back anymore. Despite Aizawa trying to fondle him, Sunao still seemed to despise him. He let Aizawa hold him but responded by staying rigid and cold, a look of pure anger – and perhaps terror – on his face.

"Let go of him!" Sora yelled, and Aizawa only laughed at him. He was doing this to irritate him, that much was clear.

"You want him?" Said Aizawa. His voice wasn't as deep as Yoru's, but it was ten times as creepy. "Here."

Aizawa let go of Sunao and threw him forward. Sora caught him and held Sunao for only a moment before Sunao shook him off.

"Aren't you going to tell Hashiba Sora why I'm here?" Aizawa said. "Why you invited me back to this lovely place – my old personal headquarters?"

Sora stared at Sunao.

"_You _brought him here?" Sora yelled at him, "Why would you do something like that? Are you fucking stupid?"

Sunao curled his lip in a snarl. His eyes were wild and crazy – whatever he'd been holding back, whatever he'd been wanting to say, to avenge – he was going to say it now.

"We're both orphans, Hashiba. We both were tests to this man – we belonged to this man. But did you ever once, in you're entire life, ever _ask why?_ Did you ever once care about what happened to your parents? No! You never cared-"

"That's not true!" Sora shouted back. "Nao, what are you saying? You're acting crazy!"

"Why do you think I didn't tell you!" Sunao screamed. "I _wanted_ you to suffer! I _wanted_ you to feel this way! I didn't want this to happen, Kuuchan! I never wanted any of this to happen – liking you, or seeing Matsuri again, or seeing you _laugh. _That tore me apart the most, every day, because while I was here, you were out there, laughing and being happy without having to remember a single thing-"

"Nao, please." Sora said. Seeing Sunao break down like this was unbearable. He grabbed Sunao by the arms, but he continued raving, continued pelting Sora with the horrible truth –

"You don't deserve happiness, or friends, or any of that-" Sunao's eyes filled with tears. "_You killed our parents!"_

Sora let go of Sunao. He stood there, a dead look on his face. For a long moment he only looked at Sunao, face covered in tears.

The dream. The flowers of blood.

"It was their blood." Sora whispered, and then suddenly he was screaming. _"It was their blood!"_

Sora let out one long yell, clutched his head and agony, and fell onto his knees.

And he Remembered.

* * *

><p>The child was pushed into the White Room, and the door was locked behind him. He screamed and pounded against the door to be let out – expecting more fire, expecting more pain – but of course the door remained closed. It always did. He clenched his eyes shut and prepared himself – prepared himself for the torture and the pain.<p>

"Sora? Sora, is that you?" Came a weak, soft adult voice. Sora had not heard a voice like that in a long time. He opened his eyes and turned around. He gasped as he saw, not a group of green people like usual, but four people slumped against the other side of the room – two men and two women.

"It _is_ you!" She gasped. The one talking was one of the women, and she looked very weak. Sora's eyes grew wet, and he ran over to her – hugged her –

"Mom!"

Sora's mother held her son close to him, her blue-brunette hair long and brushing his forehead. The others started to weakly get up now, and they all looked at Sora in surprise. He recognized the rest as his father, and Sunao's mother, and Sunao's father. It had been so long since he had seen them..

"But – why? Why is he here?" Sunao's mother said. She was truly a beauty, something her son would inherit in full.

"I'm so tired." Sora's father said, and he fell back to floor, eyes closed. Sora ran over and tried to shake him awake. All of them were so weak, and so frail – they couldn't be dying, they just _couldn't _be. Sora continued to shake him.

"Dad- Dad, come on- we're finally together again! Wake up-"

Sora's father remained unconscious. A few moments later, Sora's mother also began to fall asleep. She fought to keep her eyes open for a while longer, and she patted Sora on the head, giving him a warm smile. It was the last time he'd see her awake, and Sora smiled back. She fell over next to her husband, and Sora heard Sunao's father fall at the same time. Only Sunao's mother was awake now, and Sora, not knowing what else to do, went over into her lap and cried.

"Shh." She said, "It'll be okay."

They sat like that for a while, Sora crying, the woman trying to stay awake – when suddenly a voice rang out in the room. It came out in bouts of static, a voice over an intercom:

"_Number 017," _it said, _"This is another test for you..."_

Sora jolted up in shock at the mention of his number. Here, they didn't have names. They were only numbers.

"_Kill everyone in the room." _It said. Sunao's mother held Sora tighter. _"If you don't, number 016 will be eradicated."_

A scream of "_KUUCHAN!" _suddenly blasted over the intercom. There was the sound of a struggle, and cries of pain.

"Nao!" Sora yelled. He stood up and shouted to the room. "Nao, I'm here! It's okay! NAO!"

"_Your targets have all been drugged with minor anesthesia. We suggest you carry the job out before they reawaken. A knife will be brought in shortly."_

Sora continued to scream for Sunao, but the intercom went dead, and no more was heard. Not a moment later the door opened a crack, a knife was thrown in, and was closed and locked once more.

Sunao's mother held Sora's face and wiped away his tears. Sora knew she would soon fall asleep, and so did she, so she spoke her last words carefully, and told Sora her last wish:

"Sora – and my Sunao. I'm sorry..for everything. I hope that someday you can both live happily. That is what I hope."

Sora continued to cry.

"It's okay, Sora. Do what has to be done – for us..for us this is repentance. Do everything you can to live."

And she fell to the floor, leaving Sora alone.

Almost alone.

Sora felt a familiar power overtake him, and Yoru switched with him. He walked over to the door and grabbed the knife.

_NO! Yoru, you can't!_

Yoru cut off the part that allowed Sora to speak. He continued to scream over and over again in his own mind, yelling and yelling for him to stop, but nothing reached him. Yoru went over to the Hashiba's.

"I won't let Ran die." he said.

He raised the knife over Sora's mother.

And then his father.

A child of eight covered in his parents blood – it was a sight no human being was ever meant to see. Tears poured down Yoru's face the whole time. Up until that point, Yoru had never cried, no matter how horrible he was tested on – not once.

Yoru turned away from the Hashiba's and vomited. Then, he switched back with Sora, who was shaking uncontrollably, the knife tight in his hand.

_You..Sunao's.._ was all Yoru could manage. Sora got up and went over to the Fujimori's. Just looking at them, sleeping innocently, made him retch again. Yoru helped him get up, and Sora stood over them, the knife shaking with him.

_What's done is done. _Yoru said weakly. _Share the sin with me._

Sora closed his eyes.

He plunged the knife down.

* * *

><p>Sunao was gripping Sora's clothes tightly, face tear-stained and horribly mad. Sora was staring off with a dead look, and it was quite a while before he heard what Sunao was saying.<p>

"..you never told me. The rest of the time we were in the lab, you never told me. It was only until you left that Aizawa told me about that terrible day. About _what you did._"

Sunao's grip tightened.

"And you left me behind, saved by your _foster parents_ while I was still here." Sunao threw Sora away from him. "That I could forgive, but not what you did. Never what you did."

"Nao.." Sora pleaded.

"_Murderer!" _Sunao yelled, the name Sora had called enraging him. In a flash of madness, Sora was sure Sunao had completely lost it. He ran back to Sora and put his hands around his throat.

Sora didn't fight back. He barely had the energy to stand, and if Sunao wanted to kill him – Sora would let him.

Sora's vision was just starting to flicker from lack of oxygen when Sunao went limp. When he rose up again, he was Ran.

"That was close." Ran said. His high, lilt voice sounded strange in the room. "Yoru, you found my note! I've been trying to switch for ages. Sunao dragged me along somewhere...where are we?"

Ran turned his head and spotted Aizawa. He made a sound – a frightened sort of gasp – and stood behind Sora in fear.

"This..this wasn't part of the plan." Ran whispered.

Sora was too drained to care what Ran was talking about. He wasn't sure if he would ever care about anything ever again. He barely noticed when Yoru switched with him.

"Ran, don't be scared. We'll get you out of here."

Aizawa was still standing where he was, not moving a muscle since he had thrown Sunao over to Sora, enjoying the show. There was a crazy moment where Sora was sure Yoru would attack him – but instead he took Ran's hand and headed for the door.

"Run." He said.


	20. Pain

**Pain**

Ran and Yoru fled down the hall. Yoru was a lot faster, and it looked a lot more like Yoru was pulling Ran along. Ran stumbled and tripped more than once in his attempts to keep up.

"Ran, I don't know what you've been hiding, but everything needs to come out now." Yoru didn't slow his pace as he spoke. "What was Sunao thinking, bringing Aizawa here? Does he want _us_ to be the next ones to die?"

"Of course not!" Ran said. Sora could feel, through Yoru, his hands trembling in Yoru's fingers. "I didn't know anything about Aizawa – he must have been blocking it from me the whole time."

"Anything else?" Yoru demanded.

"I wanted to hurt you for leaving me." Ran said at last. "But I was going to do it by sleeping with Sora or even the blonde one, Matsuri.. but never anything like this. I never wanted to come back here!"

Finally Yoru stopped.

"I wouldn't care if you slept with either of them, Ran. You'll always be mine."

Apparently this was something comforting to say, because Ran was looking touched, and Yoru pulled him into a hug. Sora didn't care about any of this anymore – his world revolved around misery and sorrow, not Ran and Yoru's so called "love."

_So Ran wanted to hurt Yoru, and Nao wanted to hurt me. _He thought dully. _But I'm the one who's hurt someone. It's always..__.__always been me._

Sora couldn't get his parents faces out of his mind.

"Yoru?" Ran asked. Yoru had been holding him silently, and a little too tightly.

"It's Sora. I think he's in shock."

"I'd be concerned if he wasn't." Ran said.

"How much did you know? About Sunao's feelings..really?" Yoru asked. Ran's eyes were honest.

"I knew about Sunao. Of course I did. But I never felt how deep that hatred really was."

Yoru nodded and took Ran's hand again. He didn't want to stay in one place for too long – they'd only gone deeper into the institute, and Aizawa could be near.

"Ran, I know you don't want to, but for Sora, I'm taking us back to the cell. Our cell. Okay?"

Ran took a breath and squeezed Yoru's hand reassuringly, his eyes a bit brighter.

"Okay!" He said, sounding almost like his usual self.

* * *

><p>Yoru pulled Ran down the hall again, and Ran wondered what he was planning to do when they got there. He didn't let it show on his face, but ever since he had switched, he had been desperately trying to stifle Sunao's thoughts. By this point, Sunao wasn't even thinking direct thoughts anymore. He was only screaming.<p>

Finally Yoru stopped short at a dead end of a hall. He immediately dropped Ran's hand, turned, and stared at the door. It was eerie how Yoru knew exactly where to go, not having been there for years - longer than even since Ran had been here. It was even eerier how they stood staring at the door, having spent so long being locked on the other side of it.

Yoru opened it, and Ran followed. Sunao stopped screaming, and everything was quiet.

It was exactly the same – right to the barred little window that sometimes held the moon. The only thing different was his memory – he remembered it being so much bigger..and much more dark. Ran looked at the bed, so impossibly small, and couldn't believe how he and Yoru used to fit in it.

"Is there anything you want to say?" Yoru asked. Only one thing came to mind.

"It was so lonely. Those years without you, Yoru – it was so, so lonely..."

Yoru put a hand to his forehead and closed his eyes: what Ran had said must have finally triggered some emotion in Sora, bolstered by standing in this terrible place. For a moment Yoru was still – and then his face clenched with unimaginable pain. Ran had never seen Yoru make an expression like that before, and never would again.

"Yoru?" Ran asked, concern in his voice. Yoru shook his head.

"I'm letting him remember. He's remembering..everything."

Ran wasn't sure if Sora could handle it, but Sora was Yoru's other half, not his, and he would just have to trust them. In this cell, Ran couldn't see how any other place in the world would impact Sora as much, and Ran understood why Yoru had brought them there. Still, logic couldn't hold back Ran's fear.

"Yoru, can we leave now? _Please?_" He begged. Yoru didn't answer, but Ran could tell it was almost over. He was just about to ask how Sora was holding up when he heard footsteps.

Both Ran and Yoru gave each other a fleeting look before running to the door. It was a dead end, but between being locked into that horrible room and standing their ground against Aizawa – they'd take Aizawa. But it wasn't Aizawa.

It was Nagase.


	21. Escape

**Escape**

Sora had not known getting all of his memories back would hurt so much. It wasn't just painful – it was _agonizing_. Worse than a stab in the arm. Worse than every hair on your arm being set on fire. Worse than being held underwater until you choke.

Worse than a fall from a two story building.

"Sora, I'm going to switch with you." Yoru said, snapping him back to the here and now. "You can deal with this person better."

_Okay._

"Can you handle this?"

_Yes. I have to. _Said Sora.

The one thing his memories had given him back, something he hadn't been expecting, had come from remembering his times with Sunao and Ran. Holding each other when it was cold. Playing games they made up themselves. Talking to each other about things that only made sense to them. But most of all, remembering Sunao, who comforted him every time he got back from being hurt. Sunao's smiling face was one of the first things he remembered – and he promised it would be something he would never, ever forget.

His memories had given him back his courage. They'd given him his hope.

Sora felt Yoru tugging to switch with him, but before they did Yoru leaned down to Ran, squeezed his hands.

"I'll come back, Ran.."

"I know you will." They kissed. "Yoru will always come back for me."

Sora and Yoru traded places, and he stood tall. Ran acknowledged him by smiling up at him.

Finally, Sora fully took in the man who'd suddenly appeared before them. He'd hardly paid attention during his moments of weakness, but that Yoru knew Sora could handle him must have meant that he believed in him, and Sora was grateful.

Nagase was standing patiently, not an ounce of concern on his face, the passive expression the same as it had always been. Sora found the appearance of his teacher completely random, and knew it couldn't possibly be coincidence, but found the sight of him and _not_ Aizawa so reassuring he didn't question it. Instead, he decided to skip over all the pleasantries.

"Are you here to help us?" Sora asked. Nagase's glasses flashed as he nodded slowly, which was spooky since there was hardly any light.

"Yes. Aizawa has the building surrounded with his team – it's a good thing you didn't go outside, because if you did, you would have been recaptured."

Sora didn't ask any questions about his knowledge on this, but he did what he'd been doing a lot lately, and simply trusted him. How someone figured out Aizawa's plans couldn't be too hard – could it? He was a teacher and he was going to help them, and Sora trusted that.

"What should we do?" Sora asked.

"Wait on the roof. It's safest up there, and then we can call the police. Tell them what happened." Nagase said. "Everything."

Sora looked at Ran for his opinion, and Ran nodded at him. It sounded like a good idea.

"Okay." Said Sora. "But hurry."

* * *

><p>Ran was running out of strength, and he wondered if he was going to regret not telling Yoru while he had the chance. The force of Sunao's willpower was threatening him, and Ran wasn't sure how much longer he could keep control. He followed Sora and Nagase on small, silent feet, and spoke to Sunao in such a soft voice he knew that only they would be able to hear.<p>

"Sunao. We're not murderers." Ran whispered.

_I know we're not. Sora is._

"Stop this, Sunao." Ran hissed. Sunao responded by pulling up a memory of his mother.

_Ran saw her holding a vase of flowers, smiling down at her little boy. They were decorating the new house, and half of her face was obscured by light. Ran could tell how small he was by the memory – and how blurry it was unsettled him._

The memory faded. It was the best he could remember of her.

_They were your parents too._ Sunao said, a lot more calmly now. If anything, Ran was just happy he wasn't screaming anymore. But he couldn't help but feel Sunao was right.

It was this thought that accidently let Sunao slip free, and before Ran could blink, he was trapped on the other side of their heart, yelling for Sunao to come back.

"Ran?" Sora asked behind him. He was falling behind the others, who were rushing up the stairs.

"I'm okay!" Sunao said, trying to make his voice higher. Sora raised an eyebrow but didn't say anything, so he figured he'd been fooled. He would pretend to be Ran, and then when Sora wasn't looking –

Nagase opened the door to the roof and led them outside.


	22. Moon

**Moon**

The roof was bare and shrouded in darkness – the only things visible were air ducts and vents that certainly didn't work anymore. As he stepped out onto the old cement, Sora was surprised to see the moon shining brightly above. How long had they been here?

The door suddenly slammed shut behind them. Sora backed up – as far as the roof would allow – when he saw it was Aizawa. He yanked Sunao back by the shirt to make sure he wouldn't go within ten feet of that man. Meanwhile, Nagase had barely flinched. Sora glared at him.

"Traitor." He hissed. What ticked him off was how easily he had _trusted_ the bastard – and what's worse, knew him. Knew him as a teacher, almost as a friend. Nagase smiled at him, his eyes reflecting the moon in a deadly, terrible way. Aizawa stepped forward.

"_Well_, before we begin, how about we make sure we're all here? Ran – if you'd so kindly let Sunao back out of his cage?"

"That _is_ Sunao." Sora said. "We're both here."

Sunao's mouth opened and he looked at Sora in surprise.

"Wh-You knew it was me?"

"Do you really think I can't tell the difference between you and Ran by now?" Sora asked irritably. He sounded like his old self. "I remembered everything, all right? So don't insult me by thinking I'd fall for that." He looked into Sunao's light eyes. "I know what it was like, Nao. You don't have to be alone anymore."

"Kuuchan.." Sunao's heart melted into his chest for a while. If he hadn't already had his fill of angst for the day, he probably would have started crying.

Sora turned back to them.

"You. Nagase. How could you even think to work for slime like him?"

Nagase chuckled.

"Well, that slime is my father."

Sora blinked. Then it was his turn to laugh – dry and without humor.

"I'm not surprised. I should have seen it before. I should have wondered why you had perfect answers to all those questions I asked back in your lab...you didn't just know about it, you were a _part of it._"

Nagase folded his arms slyly. Sora turned on Sunao.

"Did you know about this?"

Sunao's cheeks went scarlet, heated up in anger at the accusation.

"I've been locked in a _lab_ for the past decade, Hashiba! How the _hell_ would I know?"

"Well, you were always meeting up! Gaku told me!"

"For _classes_, Hashiba! Some of us actually took schoolwork seriously!"

"I was just checking!" Sora returned with a scowl to match his, "Why do you have to be so stubborn about everything? We're in a _crisis_ and you're _still_ biting my head off!"

"Well maybe if you weren't such an _idiot_ – "

"Don't call me an idiot – "

Aizawa clapped his hands in slow exaggeration, chuckling at the pair. "A lover's quarrel. How _nice_."

Sora and Sunao stopped glaring at each other and remembered Aizawa was there. For a moment Sora had thought they'd gone back in time – he couldn't explain it, but bickering with Sunao put him at ease. Now that Sunao was himself again, Sora wasn't afraid anymore.

"Nagase was always so nice to me." Sunao whispered uncertainly. This made Aizawa laugh.

"He was 'nice' to you to keep an eye on you, Sunao Fujimori. To make sure that setting you free wasn't a mistake. And it wasn't! Look at where we are – I get the both of you back without any trouble. So, well _done_ Fujimori well _done._" He clapped his hands again.

"So, little Sunao isn't going to kill Sora anymore?" Aizawa shook his head in false disappointment. "That's a shame. Not that it matters – it's best if we take you both _alive_."

Sunao took a step closer to Sora. He was finally realizing the outcome of what he had sought – and sunk in that Aizawa had wanted this from the very beginning. He didn't want to help Sunao with his revenge; oh no, he was taking back what was _his._

"I made you what you are." Aizawa began. The words crept into them like poison; held them there trapped. "My experiments were always frowned upon, seen as 'fruitless' and 'terrible.' But I succeeded, didn't I..? I showed them. I showed every one of them. And it was all thanks to you, Hashiba Sora. You were my success…

The difference between _you, _Sora, and say, a tortured and abused child, is that you have not gone completely insane. You created the beautiful miracle that every scientist could only achieve in their wildest dreams - Yoru! And then came Ran, a miracle _created_ by a miracle! This accomplishment is mine, and mine alone. You could even say Ran and Yoru are my children...

They're a part of you, a part that belongs to me. I was very…_upset _when those idiots – some foolish co-workers in love – managed to steal number seventeen away." His eyes flashed at Sora. "_Very_. Upset."

Aizawa's voice was deadly. Sunao's hand found Sora's jacket, grabbed it, and stayed there.

"Two students gone missing, they'll say. They wouldn't even bat an eyelid at us, and we can all go home – make a new institute somewhere remote, get a new crew... It'll be just like old times."

Sunao made a choking sound like he was about to throw up; at the same time Sora had balled his hands into fists.

"And this time – this time I won't let some love-struck fools steal you away. A useless thing, love. Even your parents had it…always working in pairs in the labs, fogging up our chemistry rooms. It was incredibly annoying."

Sora felt Sunao's hand drop from his coat. The moon cast Aizawa in shadow.

"What?" He laughed, "Didn't you know they worked for me? Did you think we kidnapped your parents?"

He continued to laugh, and Sora found it so repulsive he wanted the man dead, if only so he wouldn't have to hear it anymore. Hear any more of his terrible words. Sunao had gone still, frozen where he stood.

"Think about it, Fujimori Sunao. You were so busy planning revenge and clustering your hate, you didn't realize that you started being tortured _before_ we ever killed your parents. They're the ones who _gave_ you to us – all in the name of science."

Sunao stared at him, eyes wide. Sora grabbed his hand – to both comfort him and hold him back.

"It was only when they started to become a nuisance that I decided to...take care of them. With one last experiment."

Sunao shouted and surged forward, and it was good thing Sora had taken his hand, because he held him back now. Between those two, he knew Aizawa would win; and Sora was the one who wanted to do it. To end this man. In the back of his heart, Yoru had already come up with at least fifty different ways to throw a man over a building. And Sora was considering them all.

"Go ahead you two – kill me! Let Yoru out and _kill_ me! Land yourselves in jail. Sure, we won't have our fun little experiments, but you'll get to have a cell all the same."

Sora glared at him – the bloodlust must have shown on his face; and he couldn't ignore the truth in Aizawa's words – and the only people who knew about Aizawa were on this roof. Sunao had stopped struggling in Sora's grip. He looked up at him, at a loss of what to do. They hadn't brought their cell phones. They had no weapons. They had no help.

_That's not true. _Yoru said. _Sora. You are never alone._

Sora looked into Sunao's eyes, and suddenly he knew how to beat Aizawa. Because Yoru was right.

"I have an idea." He whispered, before Aizawa could throw another mind rape their way. "Let's just work together."

"What! Sora, I really don't think something like _teamwork_ is going to save us!"

"Why not!" Sora said harshly. Nagase had gone over to talk with Aizawa, both still blocking the door. He pulled out a syringe from his coat and handed it to Nagase. Time was ticking.

"Look, you're really smart, Ran is pretty fast and Yoru is strong! Come up with something with that!"

"Um, um – "

Sora stood in front of Sunao as the two approached. He was ready to stall for as long as he could to give Sunao time to think – but it didn't take long. Before anything was done Sunao was hissing in his ear.

"Switch with Yoru, and I'm switching with Ran. Yoru will fight, and I'm sending Ran to the air vents."

Sora had completely forgotten those were there – they were hard to see in the dark.

"We're not going to be able to get out from those."

"We're not going to." Said Sunao. "And, don't let them stick Yoru until I come back." Out of time, both he and Sunao switched.

Ran and Yoru's eyes shone brightly in the dark.

"Ready, Yoru?" Ran asked as Nagase and Aizawa came upon them. Yoru smiled.

"Ready."


	23. Strength

**Strength**

Aizawa and Nagase pounced on them, and Yoru quickly gained the upper hand by punching Aizawa in the jaw – but the two kept attacking. Yoru could easily best any man; but two of them with foot-long, coma-inducing needles was hardly fair. No matter how close Yoru got to try and throw another punch, there was always another needle converging on him, and Yoru knew if one of them stuck him, it would be over.

Ran quickly took off in the other direction, yelling something that sounded like "I'll be back, Yoru!" and fled. Nagase abandoned Yoru and Aizawa's struggle to follow him. Yoru was tempted to run after the pair, but Sora quickly protested.

_Keep holding him off! Sunao said he needed the vents or something. Ran will be okay!_

Yoru growled and focused on keeping Aizawa's attention. He was forced to keep going backwards, Yoru dodging Aizawa's stabs with the needle, Aizawa laughing like mad. He was moving so crazily Yoru had no hope of taking it from him. They reached the corner of the roof, and Yoru tripped and fell. Aizawa laughed into the night, his hand raising sky-high, savoring the moment –

Ran suddenly reappeared at his side, having outrun Nagase. He thrust something square into his hands – a simple screen, ripped from the old air vents.

Ran gave Yoru the screen just in time – Aizawa plunged the syringe down just as Yoru flipped around and blocked with it. The needle caught in the screen, and Yoru quickly jerked, and then grabbed, it out of Aizawa's grip without the needle ever touching him.

Sora cheered inside his head at Sunao's idea. It wasn't a complicated plan, but it had been a good one. Because now Yoru had a weapon.

Ran skipped behind Yoru as he continued attacking, now deadlier than ever. He threw Aizawa away from him again and again with sheer force – he seemed to be saving the last of the needle for Nagase, wanting to give Aizawa the stronger dose. He punched Aizawa to the ground and waited for Nagase to come to him. When he did, he used the same trick with the screen to unarm him before grabbing Nagase in a headlock. Nagase choked and sputtered for air.

"Ran – " Said Yoru, and he understood. He took the first syringe Yoru had stolen and stuck it into Nagase's leg.

Nagase's face relaxed. In a matter of seconds, he was asleep.

Yoru dropped Nagase and stood up, holding the last needle. He stood over Aizawa, whose face was coated in blood from Yoru's blows. He smiled sickly up at him, teeth coated in red. Yoru raised the syringe.

"Why not just kill me?" Aizawa asked, his voice cracking. Sora could tell the sight of Aizawa standing under Yoru like that, so full of fear, was thoroughly amusing him.

"I think it would be nicer if you spent the rest of your life rotting in jail." Yoru said calmly. Ran peeked out from behind Yoru's arm and stuck his tongue out at Aizawa. "Where you can't hurt Sora, Sunao, Ran or anyone else I care for ever again."

"And then maybe you'll know how horrible being locked up is." Ran added. Yoru nodded approvingly.

"That too."

Aizawa let out a scream before Yoru plunged the needle down into his neck. Within seconds, he was knocked out cold just like his son.

"They should be like that for a while." Yoru said. He switched back again, and Sora wasn't sure how he could tell, but he knew that Ran and Sunao had done the same.

_Don't waste that time._ Yoru said.

"We did it!" Sora exclaimed. Before he knew what he was doing, he was pulling Sunao into a hug, and Sunao didn't break away from him. When they let go, Sora was pleased to see that he was smiling, too. In a sad sort of way, but it was still a smile.

"Thanks for helping Yoru and Ran there. I knew you'd think of something."

"Only because you thought I could." Sunao replied. "And…you forgot to say that you're brave."

"What?" Sora asked, puzzled.

"Before, you said that I was smart, Yoru was strong and Ran was fast. But you're the one who was brave."

_He's right, Sora. We wouldn't have been able to do this without some guts. You protected Sunao, and thus Ran, even knowing what he did. You stood up to Aizawa. I have to thank you for that._

"You're just as brave as I am." Sora muttered with a scratch to his head, a little embarrassed.

_There is a difference between accepting fear, and standing against it. _Yoru replied.

For a moment the two of them looked at each other, not believing it was all finally over. Sunao was looking at him differently, and Sora wondered if anything had changed between them. Maybe it was because now they both had something to be sorry for. In either case, Sora knew that, somehow, things would be all right.

"Now what?" Sunao asked.

Sora laughed. For some reason, the way he said it, casually and almost cutely, was funny to him.

"Let's find a payphone and call the police." Sora said. "We have a _lot_ to tell them."

Sunao smiled. They skirted Aizawa and Nagase, opened the door, and left the roof.


	24. Aftermath

**Aftermath**

"You kids okay? We know this must be very difficult for you."

"You have no idea." Sora replied.

He'd watched them load Nagase and Aizawa onto stretchers, out of the building, and into a police van. It turns out the police had already known about Aizawa from the crew that had abandoned him – the "green people" Sora would later learn – and he'd been on the run ever since. Nagase might get off, but with so many murder charges, Sora knew Aizawa would never see another day out of his cell.

"We just want to go home. If that's all right, we just want to go home."

"Sure. If we need anything, we'll call your school. Go and get some sleep, all right?"

Sora nodded, and he offered his hand to Sunao, who took it. They turned away from the blinding police lights, sirens, and shouts – and, together, they walked back home.

* * *

><p>"I'm sorry, Hashiba. For everything."<p>

"Me too." Sora replied. "I've always been sorry, you know. I just didn't remember it."

Sunao tried a smile.

"I think – that I forgave you already." Said Sunao. "A long time ago – since I first saw you again with Matsuri. But I couldn't let myself. What kind of person would I be, if I forgave you for something like that…?"

It was quiet. Sora didn't know how to respond that - but then he remembered.

"Your mother. I haven't had time to tell you since I got my memories back – she had last words, Nao. And I think they were meant for you."

Sunao looked at him, eyes full of tears.

"She said 'I'm sorry for everything. I hope that someday you can both live happily. That is what I wish.' She also said something about repenting – and I think she was talking about how they handed us over to Aizawa. I don't think what happened to us is what they wanted. We have to forgive them, and each other."

_Forgiveness is sometimes the hardest thing in the world, _Said Yoru_, but it's all right. We didn't want to, and we didn't have a choice – we did it so you could live. Your parents wanted that. Your parents wanted you to __live_.

Sora repeated his words. This made Sunao's tears spill over, but he also did something Sora wasn't expecting. He smiled a real, happy sort of smile.

"I'm glad." Sunao said.

"Glad for what?"

"That we're here." Sunao looked at him. "I think Yoru is right. The last thing my mother ever said to me...it was to live."

"Well, we have lots of time for that now." The corners of Sora's mouth twitched. "Matsuri's Festival is tomorrow. You still up for it?"

Sunao leaned up and planted a kiss on Sora's cheek.

"That sounds nice, Hashiba." Sunao said. "That sounds like the nicest thing in the world."


	25. The Festival of Love

_There was supposed to be another sex scene in this chapter with Sunao in a dress, but I just couldn't do it again. Sorry guys. Nope._

_If there's a fangirl or something that would like to do it that's fine with me._

* * *

><p><strong>The Festival of Love<strong>

"Matsuri, I have a hell of a lot to tell you, so sit down."

* * *

><p>"The night of my beloved festival feels so sad now. I can't believe all that happened to you guys."<p>

Matsuri had laughed, yelled, and cried at all the right places during his and Sunao's story. Now that it was over, he was looking upset but glad that it had been resolved – as resolved as it would ever get, anyway.

"Things will get better now, Matsuri." Sora consoled.

"I know, I know!" He said, trying to be optimistic. "But, just one thing."

"What?"

"Can I meet them? Yoru and Ran, I mean."

Sora had no say in the matter, because Yoru had already switched with him. Ran's eyes were peering up at him nearby.

For a moment Ran and Yoru only looked at Matsuri.

"You would never have been able to sleep with this guy, Ran." Yoru says. Ran folded his arms and pouted.

"Could too!" He sang. Matsuri didn't know what to make of this – and then he was laughing.

"How come Sora gets more mature, and Sunao gets more immature?" Matsuri said with some amusement.

"The mind is complex." Yoru said simply, as if that was an answer. "I hope that we can get along. It'd be nice not to have to sneak around everywhere."

"Sora and Sunao are my best friends." Matsuri told him. "You're a part of them, so of course we will."

Matsuri's mischievous grin was back into place, never faltering. Sora never thought he'd see another day where he'd be so happy to see it.

"It's a funny thing, love. Sometimes it's stranger than you could ever imagine – but it's always, always right." Said Matsuri.

* * *

><p>"LADIES AND GENTLEMEN – get ready to FALL. IN. LOVE!"<p>

This was the slogan for the night, and Matsuri's voice was booming on stage from every corner of the school – the world, it seemed like; there were so many people Sora wasn't sure anymore. The crowd went wild at Matsuri's words, and Sora peeked his head out from backstage. Even through the tiny slits in the curtains, it was still the most glitter, balloons, pink, and confetti he'd ever seen in his life. He could even see drinks that were shining like glow sticks – Gaku's soda love potions.

Sora reminded himself to check on Gaku tomorrow. No matter how you looked at it, having your teacher crush get arrested was upsetting no matter how you looked at it.

Matsuri came through the curtains and beamed at them all. There were fourteen couples in all, all in a variety of costumes. Sunao was wearing a soft pink-and-brick colored dress with ribbons that accented his hair, while Sora was in a modern, black and dark-blue themed getup. Matsuri had found him a gold crown to emphasize that he was a prince; the color reminded him of Yoru's left eye.

"All right you guys, the crowd's pumped up! We'll be sending you in by couples to show your stuff. Then the crowd votes best couple!"

Everyone cheered. They started lining up, and Sora made it so he and Sunao would be last, knowing for a fact Sunao was probably nervous. It had taken hours just to get him to put on the dress he had been making 'for the winning couple' – not knowing Matsuri had meant it was for him. Sora still had the bruises from _that_ argument.

"Sunao, I have something for you to wear with Sora! Do you want to wear it?"

Sunao blushed and opened his mouth – almost certainly about to say 'no' – when Matsuri said "Great!" and pulled him out of line. Sora chuckled just as the first couples were being announced on stage by Hano. He could hear Matsuri fighting with Sunao between the curtains.

When Sunao was pulled out again, panting for breath, he was wearing a silver princess crown. Matsuri looked pleased with himself.

"Now when you win, the prince gets the princess."

Sunao blushed. He muttered something that sounded like "not a princess."

Sora took Sunao's hand. "You look beautiful." He said. Sunao blushed deeper.

"The crowns match your rings, too." Matsuri observed. Sora looked at the ring on his finger, the wedding ring of Yoru and Ran. For some reason, this made Sora feel happier than ever.

"You guys are up!" Matsuri said. "Just have fun."

Sora pulled Sunao onto the stage with him, and they did just that.

Sora and Sunao walked away from the noise and the crowd, so they could talk in peace, and be alone. Sunao was holding a huge bouquet of pink and red flowers; the trophy for winning 1st place, of course. Sora had kissed Sunao on stage and everyone had loved it.

"I still can't believe you did that." Sunao muttered. Sora smiled in return. He had a feeling Matsuri might have pulled strings so they would win, but he didn't really care anymore. They deserved a little happiness.

They walked farther and farther away from the festival until they could only hear the dull roar of the crowd.

Sora stopped walking. He was about to suggest they head back and find a vase for Sunao's flowers, when Sunao was suddenly talking to him.

"How does it feel? To have your memories back, I mean?" Sunao asked. "They hurt..don't they?"

Sora took a step closer to Sunao. He wasn't going to let him think like that tonight.

"I used to be okay with not knowing. Ever since the accident – I realized I couldn't hide from the past anymore." Sora took his hand. "And then you came along." Sunao's cheeks turned pink, and Sora realized that he had never really noticed how big and bright his eyes could be.

"You're stubborn." He started, speaking slowly. "You're rude. You're always serious. You never laugh at my jokes, your logical talk pisses me off, you have a short temper-"

"Oh, god." Sunao said. "Sora, please stop. You don't have to say it-"

"You're always nagging me to clean my room, you can't cook, you hate sports, you can't swim-"

"Sora-" Sunao said again. Sora had never heard him sound like this; it was both eager and afraid.

"We're nothing alike." Sora finished, "But I just can't help thinking about you."

Sunao covered his face with the bouquet of flowers; whether from embarrassment or shame, he didn't know. Sora gently pulled it away; he wanted to see his face. He wanted to see him laugh and smile and scowl the way only Sunao could.

"I love you, okay?" Sora said. The words were new and unfamiliar in his mouth. Sunao clenched his fists, but he didn't break out of his grip. He wasn't going to run away anymore. When Sora realized this, he gently let go of him. Sunao looked up at him. His eyes were wet, but there was a softness to his expression.

"I love you too." Said Sunao.

Sora picked him up, sweeping him and his dress off the ground and scattering petals everywhere. Sunao squealed and kicked a little as he held him like a bride.

"Hashiba?"

"'The prince gets the princess' – remember?" Sora winked with a smile. Yoru was rubbing off on him.

Sunao's face went crimson. For some reason, that seemed to make him look like the happiest man in the world...

"Shut up!"

"What?"

"Oh – not you. Ran said, 'and so I'm the Queen..'"

_And that makes _me_ the King._

Sora laughed as he carried Sunao all the way back to the dorms.

"Where are we going?" Sunao said.

"Our room, of course." Sora said. Sunao responded by holding onto Sora tighter. They both knew why they were going, but neither of them voiced it. It seemed like the most natural thing in the world, and tonight, it just felt _right._

And, for the time being, Ran and Yoru let them be.


	26. Bloom

**Bloom**

Sora woke up to Sunao's sleeping face. He watched him for a while until the sun made Sunao groan and open his eyes.

"Good morning." Sora kissed him on the forehead. Sunao's face flushed.

"We should slow down, Sora." He said tiredly. "Shouldn't we?"

"Sure." Said Sora. "After all, we have all the time in the world now."

Sunao gave him a hug, tangling them both more in the sheets.

"What are we doing today?"

"Helping Matsuri do clean up from the festival. And then I want to take you both somewhere."

"Where?" Sunao asked curiously. Sora smiled.

"Somewhere special."

* * *

><p>Sora had taken he and Matsuri to a little green hill outside their school. Yellow flowers ad dandelion puffs were blooming and flying everywhere. Matsuri looked especially touched.<p>

"Sora? You remembered even from way back then..? It was so long ago."

"I know." Sora said. "Believe me, I know. We used to pretend we were flower kings."

Sunao had laid down in the flowers, and Matsuri and Sunao joined him. He was touching the flower petals delicately, and for once, Sora knew that he was truly, finally happy. Sunao's face became puzzled as he moved a patch of flowers to the side.

"This one's different." Sunao said. He leaned over and smelled it, but didn't make any moves to grab this single, different flower, surrounded by so many others. Matsuri swatted Sora's hand away when he tried to pick it.

"Don't do that, Sora. If you leave it alone it could spread and make more."

"Then we'll have a whole palace of new flowers."

The three lay in each other's company for a long while, happy to be together. Sora was the first one to speak.

"What happens now?"

"We prepare for the next festival!" Said Matsuri. Sora and Sunao looked at him like he was mad. Matsuri rolled his eyes.

"_Hello__!_ We're the School-Do-It-All Team! Did you think we'd give up after Valentine's? We have White Day coming up!"

Matsuri sprang onto his feet and yanked Sunao up. He started running down the hill, dragging Sunao with him as they laughed. Sora smiled as he watched the two people he cared for most in the world happy like that.

_We're going to be okay, Yoru._ Sora thought.

_Yes._ Yoru answered. _Life is so sweet now. I want to taste of all of it – and lick it all off of Ran, too._

_YORU!_

_Just kidding._ Said Yoru. _Maybe._

Sora laughed as he ran down the hill and into the brilliant sunshine of the day, catching up.

He didn't know what the future held – but he knew that Sunao and Matsuri would always be with him to find out; one step at a time.

"Guys! Wait up!"

…and for now, that was enough.

* * *

><p>"We did good, didn't we, Yoru?" Said Ran, admiring the ring on his finger. He felt they were free at last, and with this love of theirs, they could go wherever they wished. To a distant garden, or atop a cloud. Yoru leaned over and planted a kiss on his cheek.<p>

"Yeah." Yoru agreed. "We did."

And eventually they fell asleep over the clouds, waiting for their beautiful tomorrows.

**THE END**


End file.
